The Battle to Stop Trump from Stealing the 2026 Election

The Battle to Stop Trump from Stealing the 2026 Election
 

When voters went to the polls in November 2018, Trump’s job approval numbers averaged about 40%. That November, Democrats won 41 new seats in the House of Representatives, their largest gain in a congressional election since the anti-Nixon landslide in 1974.

Trump’s job approval rating now is about 40%, the same as it was in 2018. That’s before voters feel the full crush of inflation and high unemployment being created by his policies. If election history is a useful guide, Republicans are headed for a defeat of historic proportions.

This week a Democrat scored a 10 point victory in an Iowa state legislative district Trump won by 11 points last November. That’s the second such win for the Democrats in Iowa this year, and the 20 point flip is in line with other recent special elections in other states.

 

Why Trump Must Prevent Impeachment at All Costs

Of course, the electorate since 2018 has shown some shift by Blacks, Hispanics and blue collar voters toward the Republicans. Census reapportionment since 2020 has changed some district boundaries. It won’t matter. The Democrats need to pick up only 3 seats to win back the House majority. The authoritative Cook Report lists 41 as toss ups or potentially in play.

The Republicans obviously expect that a Democratic House majority would likely impeach Trump.Then Republican senators (and Vance) would be presented with this dilemma: carry all of Trump’s political baggage that led to their 2026 defeat into 2028, or cut him loose, start fresh with Vance in the White House and have a new story to tell voters in an effort to remain in power.

For Trump, the risk of impeachment and removal is also the risk of criminal trials and jail terms. Trump will do anything to keep that from happening. It’s why he MUST (all caps intended) see that Republicans keep control of the House. If not by election, then how?

By using the IRS, the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and other levers of his power to smear Democratic candidates and Democrats generally? Manipulating voter registration rolls and rules to Trump’s advantage? Using ICE to intimidate voters in Democratic voting areas?

Trump’s already doing or organizing to do all of this and more (Lisa Cook et al, troops in DC, merging voter information, suing and intimidating media, etc.). Along with bullying governors to add GOP seats through intimidation. And more. See this op ed piece in the August 26 New York Times.

Using the Power of Democracy to Fight Back

Voters often have regrets about who they vote for and elect. The genius of the democratic system is that once you make that mistake you have an opportunity to correct it through another free and fair campaign and election.

Trump is the first president in American history who tried to corrupt the system by triggering a violent takeover of the Capitol to remain in office even though he lost the election. Now he’s compounded that crime by freeing the rioters and punishing the law enforcers.

Can anyone doubt he will try to do it again?

Americans need to arm themselves now for the ballot war that’s coming. Not by picking up lethal weapons, but by using all the tools democracy provides.

 

The People Still Hold the Power

All 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S. who have sworn to uphold the law should be prepared to do just that to preserve democracy. Every state and local bar association should have ongoing training in election law. Every lawyer should be asked to serve on local legal committees to protect pre, post and election day voting. Every legal committee should have lists of volunteers who can respond quickly for election duty.

Every judge who could possibly be called on to preside over registration and election cases should be prepared to move fast and decide fast. Many election day decisions are critical to voting outcomes.

Good government groups should develop a pledge to uphold the sanctity of the vote and the vote count and ask all election officials, election staff, poll monitors and poll watchers to sign it.

Every candidate for Congress, incumbents and non-incumbents, should be asked to sign a pledge to honor and abide by the official results certified by their states.

Every community should issue a call for volunteer poll watchers and provide training on how to watch for attempts to corrupt the vote and what to do about it if needed.

Millions of Americans have carried signs, written post cards, made phone calls and engaged in other forms of protests. They should be organized into an election protection army, with teams assigned to surround every polling place in the U.S., tasked to intervene or report when irregularities arise.

Now is the time to organize for a voting war that almost certainly is coming. And to organize now to gain experience in this November’s state and local elections, and the primaries and local elections scheduled almost monthly during 2026, leading to the 2026 general elections.

Those who rightly fear a Trump corrupted election must enlist in the fight to stop him. And if there are enough of us, and we’re organized, we can.

 

Here’s this week’s STEM Winder: A weekly look into the future.

 
Subsea desalination
 

With rising droughts and shrinking snowpacks, California’s thirst for clean water is growing. Now, a groundbreaking project is tapping into an unexpected source—the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

OceanWell, in partnership with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and six other agencies, is launching Water Farm 1: the U.S.’s first subsea desalination facility. The plan? Drop 60 modular pods 1,300 feet below the surface off Malibu’s coast, where extreme pressure powers energy-efficient reverse osmosis—no motors, no marine disruption.

Each pod can filter 1 million gallons per day, removing not just salt, but also microplastics, bacteria, and PFAS (“forever chemicals”). The entire setup is expected to deliver 60 million gallons of ultra-clean drinking water daily by 2030—enough to supply multiple cities.

Following a successful pilot, the full rollout aims to support regional water networks, including far-off partners like Burbank via clever water exchanges. And all of this happens with 40% less energy than traditional desalination.

It’s a bold step toward drought-proofing the West Coast, while setting a new benchmark for sustainable water sourcing—right from the ocean floor.

 

Comments? Criticism? Contact Joe Rothstein at jrothstein@rothstein.net

 

Always Get It’s Always Something

Sign up to get the most recent column set to your inbox for free.

SUBSCRIBE

 
Joe Rothstein

This article was written by Joe Rothstein, a veteran political strategist, media producer, and author. Over a career spanning decades, Joe has managed and advised more than 200 political campaigns, served as editor of a major daily newspaper, and written three political thrillers—The Latina President, The Salvation Project, and The Moment of Menace. Through his writing, he offers clear, experience-driven perspectives on politics, culture, and the forces shaping our democracy.

https://www.joerothstein.net/
Next
Next

The Arctic: Global Warming Heats Up Russia, China, U.S. Competition