ANALYSIS — For someone who has made winning a key part of his personal, professional and political brand, Donald Trump is set to rely on a large stable of losers in his second term. The president-elect has tapped more than a dozen people who previously lost elections to join his administration next year.
Even though both parties love to deride unsuccessful candidates who run again, the term “loser” doesn’t have to be a pejorative. Losing candidates regularly get elected later, including in the 2014 and 2020 election cycles. It also isn’t a disqualifying factor to serve a president, or even to serve as president.
Of the eight most recent presidential winners, all have had prior election losses on their résumés, including Trump (2020 presidential general election), Joe Biden (1988 and 2008 Democratic presidential primaries), Barack Obama (2000 Democratic primary for U.S. House in Illinois), George W. Bush (1978 House race in Texas), Bill Clinton (1974 House loss and 1980 reelection defeat as Arkansas governor), George H. W. Bush (1964 and 1970 Senate races in Texas and 1980 GOP presidential primary), Ronald Reagan (1976 GOP presidential primary) and Jimmy Carter (1966 Democratic gubernatorial primary in Georgia).
