When people continue to frame every election as the “most consequential” of our lifetimes, the phrase loses all impact. However, the 2026 midterms come with a lot of potential consequences for Donald Trump and his cronies if Democrats achieve a full congressional majority.
It’s become increasingly clear over the last few days that Republicans seem ready to concede Congress to their colleagues across the aisle. Multiple Republican candidates in tight races had been canceling appearances.
A quick overview of headlines a few days before Election Day confirms this. It’s astonishing to see brazen election interference being reported as if it was to be expected. Imagine reading any of these in a pre-Trump world:
"Trump's DOJ blocked nationwide from threatening election officials" - MSN
"How Trump and his allies seek to interfere in the US midterm elections" - The Guardian
"Trump allies admit plot to block election certification for results they don't like" - MSNow
This is why we vote for Democrats, who don’t need to cheat or poison our politics with propaganda.
However, the conversations around voting have been poisoned by Trump and his repeated lies over the last decade about elections being “rigged” for Democrats. It’s the dumbest of the dumbest claims, because if Democrats were cheating, Hillary Clinton would’ve been the 45th President, not Trump. And Democrats would never have lost a congressional majority. So the Trumpian take of “all elections I lose are rigged” is not just dumb and wrong; it’s also treason.
Trump is also now calling himself “Mr. Veto” if Democrats take back both the House and the Senate. If he knew anything about how our government actually works, he would know that it’s not much of a threat when Congress can overrule his veto if two-thirds of the members voting in both the House and the Senate agree to repass the bill.
He’s always been “Mr. Cheat-O,” from paying other students to take his exams in high school and college to conspiring with Elon Musk in 2024. Trump has the full support of the Attorney General, the Speaker of the House, and an overwhelming number of Republicans posting election lies on social media.
But they all know it’s all a show for MAGA. Democrats and Democratic Socialists alike are poised to win races in Red States that haven’t voted Blue in decades, forcing Trump to “uncancel” the rally appearances he initially canceled for this weekend, bringing his low-energy to Iowa and Kansas in a sad, last-minute attempt to boost the increasingly unpopular Ashley Hinson and Roger Marshall, respectively.
Trump and his racist cronies are also doing all they can to bully any Black or brown candidates with a “D” next to their names. As they continue to scapegoat Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Abdul El-Sayed is triggering MAGA like no other midterm candidate. While attacking El-Sayed for never practicing medicine despite his degree, MAGA is fully ignoring that his opponent, Mike Rogers, allegedly lives in Florida. Turncoat Haley Stevens has now endorsed him — all the more reason for Michiganders to vote for El-Sayed.
Another MAGA Mike (Collins, no relation to the losing Susan Collins in Maine) is trailing badly in the polls in Georgia. As of Sunday, “Hotticus Finch,” aka “Senator My Boo” Jon Ossoff (who happens to be Jewish) was demolishing Collins in the polls, with his odds of winning sitting at an overwhelming 89%. Collins has a history of anti-Semitism and let his Neo-Nazi son-in-law build a house on his land. He previously said America should be “cleared of nonwhites,” praised a Hitler quote, and has used antisemitic dogwhistling language in his social media posts as well as in his weak debate performances opposite Ossoff.
Republicans are also nervous about the historic early voting turnout, especially the increase in Red States, since most conservatives tend to wait to vote until Election Day. However, similar polls and early voting turnouts were also false indicators of big wins for both Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
With the deluge of disinformation and Republicans pushing election lies, it’s easy for anyone to get turned off to the process. No matter what any of them say, your vote matters, and it’s secure. I’m here to reaffirm that you should never let anyone pressure you into squandering your right to vote, because it is indeed your RIGHT as an American citizen. Voting third party is akin to keeping fascism, no matter what Matthew McConaughey or Tom Morello say.
This is not the time for a protest vote. I understand the system needs a fundamental overhaul, but we’re not going to see that happen on Election Day. I also understand that a two-party system isn’t the ideal either, but your options are what they are right now.
If you haven’t already voted, I’m here to ask you to please vote for Democrats downballot, even if they aren’t your ideal dream candidate. You’re not dating them or marrying them, you’re hiring them to work for you. You’re voting for the greater good of the nation, so consider your ballot their job application. That’s a snappy catchphrase I just made up, so keep that in mind when you’re in the voting booth today.
If you’re not crazy excited about your choices this go-round, please also keep in mind that you can primary them in 2028 and replace them with someone you think will be better at the job. That’s how progress happens, so please vote for progressive Democrats!
When it comes to keeping tabs on the results, I hope you’ll consider tuning in to SiriusXM Progress, Channel 127, as I have the great honor of anchoring three hours of Election Night coverage from 3 AM to 6 AM ET/midnight to 3 AM PT. I’ll be properly caffeinated here in Portland, taking your calls while watching the late-night results, with a particular focus on the West Coast Blue Wall.
Vote Blue, no matter who!
