Donald Trump Suggests Canceling Midterms While Pursuing Election Changes
Donald Trump suggested bypassing the 2026 midterm elections, while his administration implements redistricting and voting restrictions to influence future electoral outcomes.
President Donald Trump suggested on multiple occasions, including in a Reuters interview and a speech at the Kennedy Center, that the United States "shouldn't even have an election" for the 2026 midterms. Trump cited his administration's accomplishments and a desire to avoid potential impeachment should Democrats win control of Congress as justifications for skipping the vote. While White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the remarks as "simply joking" and facetious, critics including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and host Jimmy Kimmel warned that such rhetoric threatens democratic norms.
Concurrent with these comments, the administration has pursued several strategies to reshape the electoral process. Trump has pressed GOP leaders in states like Texas and Ohio to redraw congressional maps for partisan advantage, resulting in nine additional Republican-friendly seats. He has also issued executive orders to restrict mail-in ballots and set new standards for voting equipment. The United States Department of Justice is currently seeking private voter data, including Social Security numbers, from at least 40 states.
Further administrative actions include scaling back the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and directing the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to clean voter rolls. Trump has also proposed a census that excludes undocumented immigrants to alter state representation. These moves prompted Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to develop contingency plans, stating that running such scenarios reflects poorly on the health of American democracy. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of the United States is weighing the legality of counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.
