5 concerning things Trump has said about the 2026 elections |
After seeing Donald Trump in action for more than a decade, I take him seriously and literally.
A year ago, I wrote about how we shouldn’t take for granted what the president might do when it comes to the 2028 election. Twelve months later, that column still holds up. But Trump has also said a number of concerning things about this year’s midterm elections that should be taken seriously.
Some folks will accuse me of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” but, once again, there’s a pattern among Trump supporters. When he says something off the wall or controversial, his backers chastise critics by saying, “Don’t be so sensitive. Of course, Trump isn’t going to do that.” But then when he does it, they say, “Well, of course he did it. He said he was going to do it. Why are you surprised? Get over it.”
That’s why his comments about the midterms are noteworthy, particularly when taken as a whole. Trump has established a pattern of using declarations of war, emergency and terrorism to justify executive action. And remember, it’s not a question of whether he’s legally allowed to do something, it’s whether he’ll attempt to do it anyway and dare someone or something to stop him.
Right now, the president is operating like he’s accountable to no one. He even said as much in a recent New York Times interview when asked about limits to his power: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
So no one should be surprised if Trump follows up on any or all of the actions he’s talked about.
During an Aug. 18 Oval Office meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about the necessary conditions to restart elections in his country. Trump appeared more than a little intrigued about his answer and interjected to make a point.
“So you say, during the war, you can’t have elections,” said Trump. “So let me just say, three-and-half years from now. So you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections. I wonder what the fake news would say to that.”
But what are the chances of the United States being “in a war” sooner? The answer: pretty high.
Last year, the White House justified sweeping wartime authority by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 after declaring that the United States was being invaded........