loses

So far, Mr. Trump has not agreed to accept the election results, and it’s possible he could try to challenge the results if he loses.

The ideal situation is that Gaetz loses and spends the next four years encouraging Trump to drive out more members of the party, depleting their already thinned-out ranks.

Often, the party in power loses seats when mid-term congressional elections roll around two years later.

"Donald Trump has already told us that he will contest the election if he loses — and they're already preparing to do that," she added.

Yet they may feel vindicated even if Trump loses narrowly to Harris but his acolytes erupt in litigious, violent and protracted fashion.