He wasn’t running against Trump (save in 2016; he hasn’t mentioned the big “personal insult” of the Hillary rejection of late). His election opponents were RINOs who wanted him to win and helped him win with their deliberately weakened campaigns. More people are waking up to the long-standing one-party rule at the federal level too.
I never underestimate the stupidity of the American electorate. Look at the rapidly increasing infatuation with socialism even with Venezuela rapidly collapsing to civil war.