What would it truly require for those on the American left, and anti-Trump conservatives who’ve turned their opposition into a notable identity, to acknowledge that Donald Trump has achieved something tangible in the areas of peace and prosperity—two of the most enduring benchmarks for any leader?

As we approach 2026, following a 2025 that was more stable, serene, and economically thriving than critics anticipated, the question becomes even more pressing.

If the record continues to improve and indicators remain positive, what would it take for his detractors to quietly admit, “Yes, that succeeded”?

Historically, Americans have occasionally confessed to being wrong. Today, progressives comfortably acknowledge that Ronald Reagan “did alright,” even after years spent forecasting disaster.

Meanwhile, some Republicans have grudgingly recognized that Bill Clinton oversaw a period of economic growth—though they often attribute much of the credit (if not all) to Newt Gingrich.

These retrospective admissions may be reluctant, yet they exist. There was a time when people could surprise themselves by conceding that the other side occasionally got things right.

But that reflex has died. George W Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and of course Trump himself – none of them has earned even a polite bipartisan nod for anything that turned out well.

We now live in an age of automatic rejection. If the other side accomplished it, then by definition it wasn’t an accomplishment.

What would it take for the American left, and for the anti-Trump conservatives, to admit that Donald Trump has delivered something real?

We now live in an age of automatic rejection. If the other side accomplished it, then by definition it wasn’t an accomplishment

It’s hardly guaranteed that Trump will finish this term with a glowing record of global calm and economic expansion. The world has a way of humbling anyone who thinks they’ve cracked its code.

But it is also not impossible and that last point, apparently, is intolerable to some.

For the anti-Trump crowd, the current president doesn’t just make mistakes; he must fail. Permanently. Cosmically. They aren’t waiting for events; they already have the ending written. In their narrative, it’s etched in stone: Trump equals failure and any evidence to the contrary is a glitch in the matrix.

But now imagine – just as a thought experiment – that 2026 looks like more of what we saw some of in 2025.

A humming economy. Inflation finally truly tamed. Middle-class families breathing easier. Fewer American troops in harm’s way. A handful or two of seemingly improbable diplomatic deals that most experts said would never happen. A global stage noticeably less jumpy.

Imagine the scoreboard lighting up in ways that ordinary people – not pundits, not activists, not consultants – can plainly feel.

Mark Halperin is the editor-in-chief and host of the interactive live video platform 2WAY and the host of the video podcast ‘Next Up’ on the Megyn Kelly network

What are the odds that Democrats, or the Bill Kristol set, would say: ‘Look, we oppose him on almost everything, and yes, he drives us mad. But on the basics – peace, prosperity – he delivered?’

Would they ever say it? Could they?

Because the truth is, this isn’t really a question about Trump. It’s a question about us – about the culture we’ve created, the grudges we nurture, the way political loyalty now demands total blindness to anything that challenges the approved storyline.

And so two relevant questions hover over 2026: Is there any level of success so overwhelming that Trump’s critics would be forced, however grudgingly, to acknowledge it?

And what does it say about modern politics if the answer is: ‘No, absolutely not?’

George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and of course Trump himself – none of them has earned even a polite bipartisan nod for anything that turned out well

For the anti-Trump crowd, the current president doesn’t just make mistakes; he must fail. Permanently. Cosmically

If that’s where we are, the implications stretch far beyond one man’s legacy. It would mean we’ve misplaced a basic element of democratic maturity: the ability to point at something and say, ‘That worked,’ even if the person who made it work is not the one you voted for.

It’s a simple thought experiment, but it reveals a big truth: in modern American politics, the hardest task is no longer governing – it’s giving credit where credit is due.

And while many insist that Trump succeeding – by the midterms, by the end of his term, by any measure at all – is utterly impossible, the evidence so far suggests it isn’t just possible. It might, whisper it, even be likely.

Which might make the real question for 2026 not whether Trump can deliver results – but whether his critics could ever bring themselves to admit it if he does.