Ron DeSantis Sounds Alarm About GOP's Stunning Loss In Texas Special Election: 'Not Something That Can Be Dismissed'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sounded the alarm about the Republican party's defeat in a deep red seat in Texas, where Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a district that Trump won by 17 points two years ago.

"Special elections are quirky and not necessarily projectable re: a general election. That said, a swing of this magnitude is not something that can be dismissed. Republicans should be clear-eyed about the political environment heading into the midterms," DeSantis said in a social media publication.

Special elections are quirky and not necessarily projectable re: a general election.That said, a swing of this magnitude is not something that can be dismissed. Republicans should be clear-eyed about the political environment heading into the midterms. https://t.co/KwX2m6wV6L

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) February 1, 2026

Rehmet defeated Leigh Wambsganss in the Fort Worth-area district by a double-digit margin in the special election for the Texas state Senate. "This win goes to everyday working people," he said after the election.

Democrats are also claiming the result illustrates deep dissatisfaction with the Trump administration and its policies, with National Committee Chairman Ken Martin calling it a "warning signs to Republicans across the country."

NBC News noted that Democrats have outperformed Republicans since Trump took office, also winning special elections in Kentucky and Iowa. The party also won governor races in Virginia and New Jersey.

Trump's approval rating has declined in recent weeks, according to new polling, signaling growing skepticism about his performance early in his second term.

A Pew Research Center survey from this week found that 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump's job performance, down from 40 percent in the previous measurement. Half of respondents said his actions as president have been worse than expected, while only 21 percent said they have been better than expected.

Support for Trump's policies has also weakened according to the survey. Just 27 percent of Americans said they support all or most of his policies, a drop from 35 percent. The decline was driven in part by Republicans, among whom support fell from 67 percent to 56 percent. However, the survey also pointed to shifting attitudes within the president's own party as 61 percent of Republicans said GOP lawmakers are not obligated to support Trump if they disagree with him, suggesting a loosening of automatic party loyalty.

Only 34 percent of Americans expressed confidence in Tump's leadership skills, while 21 percent said they trust him to act ethically in office. Sixty percent said they have little or no confidence in his ethical conduct. Nearly half of Americans said they believe Trump will be unsuccessful in the long run, underscoring uncertainty about the trajectory of his presidency.

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