President Donald Trump and the 2026 Midterm Election
I am sure many of the readers of my weekly blog are weary of the podcasts, social media posts, newspaper articles, and cable news shows which are focused on the 2026 Midterm Elections and the impact President Donald Trump will have on the outcome of the midterm elections. For purpose of this blog, I will not offer my own prediction for the midterms, and notwithstanding my lack of confidence in political polls, I will not argue with the prevailing conventional wisdom that the midterms will be very favorable for Democrats. My goal with this blog will be to discuss what I thought President Trump’s first two years of his second term would look like and what has resulted up to now and hopefully drown out some of the hyper partisanship from the MAGA world and the Democrat Socialist world! But before I begin my discussion below, I have added two links which provide different views on President Trump’s second term to date. A link from Wall Street Journal Editor at Large, Gerard Baker, which is highly critical of President Trump and which I believe goes too far in its criticism. https://www.wsj.com/opinion/helpi-feel-a-bad-case-of-tds-coming-on-0d2515aa?st=3Rnrcc&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink. The second link is from the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal which provides a more balanced view of President Trump’s first two years and an informed view of the Democrat’s performance in the four years prior to President’s Trump’s second term. https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democrats-affordability-policies-energy-healthcare-inflation-midterm-elections-82afe2a4?st=Xe5Teq&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink.
So here we go with my thoughts and assessments to date on several key policy issues for President Trump’s second term.
1. Higher Education. It was my expectation that the Trump Administration would address DEI and the shameful and hateful antisemitic atmosphere at prominent Ivy League and other major colleges and universities. There has been substantial accomplishment in these efforts.
2. DEI. I was confident that the Trump administration would not hesitate to oppose and seek to dismantle what I will call the DEI Industrial Complex between the elites in Higher Education and Corporate America. This unholy alliance has done little to advance the cause of minorities but has created “winners” and “losers” among racial groups at the expense of color-blind meritocracy and seeking to help and assist anyone who needs assistance without regard to race, gender, or family legacy. The Trump Administration should be commended for its efforts and accomplishments in this area. In the same vein, I was pleased that the Trump Administration has maintained that there are only two genders (male and female), while also opposing gender transition treatments and surgeries for children as well as other aspects of the LGBTQ agenda. Compassion and inclusion for hurting children must never include life altering surgeries which cannot be reversed.
3. Affordability. I was always concerned that the Trump Administration would embrace tariffs more readily than it did in the first term. Unfortunately, this has been the case. The Trump Administration’s indiscriminate application of tariffs has increased the cost of goods and hindered its otherwise exemplary efforts in regulatory and tax reform. To be sure, tariffs should be part of an economic toolbox for use in leverage to gain entrance for American goods and services in other countries’ markets and to encourage domestic manufacturing and protection of essential pharmaceuticals and technology. But tariffs should never become the “be all end all.” I can only hope that the Trump Administration will reassess its Tariff policy following the midterms.
4. AI. While AI (Artificial Intelligence) was not on the 2024 Presidential Election issue list, the Trump Administration’s actions in opposing the recent fear mongering and misinformation associated with AI and the largely selfish and disingenuous desires for regulation from several of the AI titans are commendable. The Trump Administration has it exactly right on AI. AI is here to stay, and it will proceed with or without United States participation. China would love to have the United States sit out the AI race so it could proceed by itself. Chinese dominance in AI would be an existential threat to the United States economy and national security. AI has great promise for good in medicine, national defense, and many other areas of society as well as the potential for evil as is the case for other technology. But if the major players in AI are not able to determine what is harmful in the AI space and take appropriate remedial actions, then the Plaintiffs bar should be more than ready to “assist” by filing trillion-dollar class action lawsuits in response to any AI harm caused by these titans.
5. Foreign Policy. The Trump Administration’s foreign policy performance is mixed at best. While its steps to promote a peaceful end to the Russia/Ukraine War are appropriate, it has been far too deferential toward the aggressor, Vladimir Putin. Personal chemistry among world leaders is always helpful but its value must never be overestimated when the essence of successful foreign policy among adversaries is durable peace through strength. While no war can be successfully diagrammed from start to finish on a white board, before any major military campaign is undertaken, there must be a clear understanding and a commitment that the campaign is a “must have” undertaking which thereby justifies a maximum use of military force to defeat the adversary, including boots on the ground. Concomitant with that that understanding, there must be a clear explanation to the American people justifying the critical need to undertake the military campaign and conclude it expeditiously. The American people have limited patience for military engagements. I believe the Epic Military conflict against Iran lacks many of these critical elements which contributes to the current stalemate and unpopularity with the American people.
6. Military. Just as was the case in higher education and Corporate America, I was pleased that the Trump Administration has taken steps to ensure that the military is focused on combat readiness and not woke DEI metrics. With that said, there remains legitimate concerns about maintaining sufficient munitions and the abrupt removal and promotion of military leadership. Chemistry and compatibility among military leadership is important, but competence and ability to successfully lead and execute are even more important. Like it or not, the Trump Administration and the Congress must be willing to spend more money on national defense and take steps to ensure that contractual commitments are undertaken with national defense contractors so national defense needs are fulfilled on a timely basis.
7. Abortion. While I believe the approach taken by the Trump Administration is correct in leaving the legal and regulatory framework of abortion up to the states given the lack of any national consensus for Congressional legislation on abortion which would be beneficial to prolife policy, I am concerned that the FDA has failed to take steps to correct the grievous error from the Biden Administration FDA which allowed the dispensing by mail of abortifacient pills instead of requiring an in person authorization by a medical provider. Not only do these pills cause the termination of an unborn child, but they can also in many cases pose grave danger to the health of the woman taking the pills. The Trump Administration has no excuse for not moving quickly to correct this horrific FDA policy error.
8. Energy. The Trump Administration has taken appropriate policy steps to promote the exploration and production of fossil fuels and taken steps to eliminate costly and inappropriate taxpayer subsidies for renewable energy. To be sure, national energy policy should be one which includes “all of the above.” But all the above should not mean stringent fuel mileage requirements for motor vehicles which would soon require the purchase of subsidized electric vehicles regardless of consumer preference. Nor should a national energy policy promote wind or solar energy in areas of the country where the weather climate is not conducive for this. Corporate welfare in picking winners and losers in any area of the economy has a poor track record for success and a great track record for wasting taxpayer money. Energy is not an exception. If there is a market for renewables, the companies will come and meet the need. No government handout is required.
9. Immigration. As expected, the Trump Administration moved quickly after the inauguration to secure the United States border. This action was overwhelming supported by the American people as was the arrest and deportation of migrants who committed crimes in their country of origin or in the United States following their unlawful entry into the United States. But other actions undertaken by ICE (Immigrations Customs and Enforcement) have been unpopular. The chaotic arrest and deportation of many individuals who have been peacefully in the United States for decades; law abiding with no criminal history; and good work histories and other contributions to their churches, schools, and communities has been largely unpopular with the American people. Comments by the Department of Homeland Security leader that any unlawful entry into the country even decades ago is still a crime misses the point entirely in terms of support for the rule of law. Law enforcement always has discretion in enforcing the law and this discretion is important in engendering respect for the rule of law. Just what would be the result if motorists were routinely arrested for going a few miles per hour over the posted speed limit? Traffic courts would likely be overwhelmed and there would be less regard and respect for posted speed limits. Highway safety would be diminished and not enhanced.
10. Temperament and Judgement. I believe the American people wisely focus on competence and the likelihood for successful performance if elected to office as they make important electoral decisions. I believe this approach greatly benefits our great country for making electoral decisions. That is why I believe a majority voted in the way they did in the 2024 Presidential elections. But this does not mean that voters ignore or are indifferent to the speech, mannerisms, and judgements of its leaders, especially in the case of the President of the United States. In this case, I believe President Trump has hurt the policy initiatives of his administration by his intemperate speech and impulsive conduct on many different occasions. In football parlance, when the defender has the ball carrier out of bounds, there is no need to slam the ball carrier to the turf. A penalty is assessed for this in football, and I believe the same is true in politics. Impulse control matters in every discipline of life and those who fail to understand this set back their cause and the cause of their followers. For readers of my blog old enough to remember the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, just consider the contrast in speech, temperament, and conduct between Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump in their respective Presidential Administrations. For example, only time will tell if President Trump’s unwise decision to endorse a Republican Senate candidate in a primary in the State of Texas who consistently flattered the President but also possessed questionable moral and ethical baggage will result in the loss of the senate seat to a very liberal progressive democratic candidate whose disingenuous misapplication of holy Scripture borders on blasphemy. There is little doubt that this senate seat would not be in play in the general election had President Trump endorsed the current conservative Republican incumbent.
Conclusion. As I said at the beginning of this blog, I will not argue with the prevailing wisdom of the electoral pundits regarding the 2026 Midterm Election. I am sure that some of the readers of my blog will not agree with or appreciate my comments which are critical of President Trump. But I am also sure that most readers of my blog view the midterm election like me: Regardless of my personal views of President Trump, I largely agree with the Trump Administration key foreign and domestic policies and would have no intention of voting for any candidates who would seek to undue these policies at their first opportunity.
God bless you and thank you for the privilege of your time in reading my blog.
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