Was Trump defeated? "It's complicated," says his biggest supporter

It was only a matter of time. Immediately after the midterm elections, there are signs of power struggles in the Republican Party – for example over the presidential candidacy in 2024 and the question of who could become the most powerful head in Congress. Donald Trump fired a warning shot at victorious Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He had defended his office on Tuesday with a remarkable 59 percent.

"I don't know if he's running. I think if he runs, he could do himself a lot of harm," Trump said, referring to DeSantis and the 2024 presidential election. The Fox News Digital interview was conducted Monday night aboard Trump's plane, but wasn't released until after the election. Trump, 76, publicly stated Monday that he would make a "very big announcement" in the coming week. That was considered a hint for his application for the presidential candidacy.

DeSantis, 44, now told Trump "would make a mistake" if he now strives for the White House: The party base would not like it, "I don't think it would be good for the party". Trump threatened, "I would tell you things about him that would not be very flattering."

The relationship between Trump and DeSantis is considered broken. At the weekend, just before the election, Trump gave DeSantis the nickname "Ron Hypocritical". Now he put the electoral success of his party friend into perspective. He, Trump, received more votes in Florida in 2020 than DeSantis now. This is formally correct. Yet presidential elections have a much higher turnout than midterm elections. In percentage terms, Trump was just three points ahead of Joe Biden in 2020, while DeSantis scored 19 points more than his Democratic challenger Charlie Christ.

Annoying for Trump: In his native New York, the conservative New York Post headlined on its front page on Wednesday, alluding to DeSantis: "DeFuture". Toxic Trump, "Toxic Trump" was the motto here on Thursday. One editorial was headlined, "How Donald Trump Sabotaged the Republican Midterm Election." It said the election result "suggested that Trump represents perhaps the greatest repulsion in modern American history."

Should conservative media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch distance himself from Trump? That would be a heavy blow for the ex-president.

DeSantis has credit for doing well with Latinos. In huge, Latino-majority Miami-Dade County, DeSantis won 55 percent -- the first Republican victory here in 20 years. Those around DeSantis are expecting a presidential bid, regardless of Trump's decision, reports CNN.

Key Trump-backed Republicans failed on Tuesday, including Pennsylvania Senate and governor candidates Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano. "Oz worked very hard but there were forces against him," Trump said. In addition to the right-wing Mastriano, Trump-backed Republican Tudor Dixon, who wanted to replace Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, also failed. Numerous Trumpians won in staunchly Republican constituencies.

The right-wing Fox News broadcaster discussed on Wednesday evening why there had been no "red wave". Red is the color of Republicans. An unpopular president, inflation, an "open border" and the "risk of nuclear war" - all of this had to result in a "massive Republican victory", said moderator Tucker Carlson: "Joe Biden was not punished. What happened?” Carlson asked whether that had anything to do with Trump. "Complicated" is the answer to this question.

Biden spoke on the phone Wednesday night with Kevin McCarthy, Republican Minority Leader in the House of Representatives. He wants to become the new Speaker of the House, replacing Democrat Nancy Pelosi. McCarthy, like his Senate colleague Mitch McConnell, has made few appearances since the election. They refrained from the usual press conferences.

McCarthy spoke to right-wing conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene for 45 minutes on Wednesday, CNN reported. She had defended her mandate in rural Georgia. The Trumpian icon could gain influence. About two dozen MPs from the right-wing "Freedom Caucus" do not want to support their party colleague McCarthy as spokesman. Apparently they want something in return. That could be a pledge to begin impeachment proceedings against President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. A number of Republicans also want a committee that deals with the Biden family, especially with son Hunter and his questionable businesses.

The new House of Representatives will be constituted at the beginning of January 2023 and will elect its speaker. The house consists of 435 MPs, the election requires an absolute majority of 218 votes. On Thursday, the majority in the house was not yet certain. A majority of Republicans hinted.