Has Donald Trump's spell finally broken?

We hunkered around our laptops, anticipating an era-shifting speech delivered from the White House like so many pivotal moments before.

Wars have been declared, eulogies given, and resignations tendered in this most serious of formats.

But this was Donald Trump. And the highly billed remarks in front of an opulent festive display were about as unremarkable as it comes, save one detail.

Trump began by playing a poor imitation of his hits - namely, his vitriolic vendetta against Joe Biden.

But in his subsequent rambling attempt to gaslight Americans into forgetting that prices remain high, one element of the speech stuck out to me: the helplessness of the man delivering it.

Beneath Trump’s relentless attacks and constant hyperbole was a tone which I usually only hear when telling my nephew it’s time to put away his Hot Wheels: a childish whine.

And it’s easy to see why he has been reduced to this. Despite controlling all three branches of government, Trump has been toothless for much of his term already.

From failing to avert the longest-ever Government shutdown, to being forced to support releasing the Epstein Files. Notwithstanding his complete failure to keep Israel adhering to the Gaza ceasefire, and, of course, the near-weekly embarrassment he receives from Vladimir Putin. So much of his first year back in Washington has shown Trump to be an ineffective lame duck.

This address was not a fighting call or even a threat like we’ve come to know. It was a desperate plea for relevance to a Republican party looking beyond their leader and considering their own futures in a post-Trump world.

Despite his incessant hints at a third term, they know we are in the twilight of MAGA. And with Republicans across Congress staring down the barrel at annihilation in next autumn’s midterms, it seems Teflon Don’s spell may have finally broken.

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Chay Quinn is a Digital Journalist at LBC.

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