"Today is the day!" wrote President Donald J. Trump on Truth Social on Saturday January 31 in a post urging all voters in Texas' 9th State Senate District to get out and vote for "a phenomenal candidate, Leigh Wambsganss."
In a post signed "President DJT" to communicate the personal endorsement of our 79-year-old president, Trump described Wambsganss as a "highly successful entrepreneur, and an incredible supporter of our movement." He added that he wanted to help his "very good friend, Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick... KEEP TEXAS RED."
In years gone by, Trump's full-throated endorsement of a candidate like Wambsganss in a district Trump himself one by 17 points in 2024 would have meant that the result was a forgone conclusion even before Trump's human printer clicked send on the post.
One day later, Trump told reporters he was unaware of any local election in Texas
During a February 1 interview with Fox News, video of which was posted on Bluesky by Aaron Rupar, Trump claimed he hadn't heard about the previous day's election, including who might have been running or where it was taking place.
Imagine the reaction if Joe Biden had talked to reporters less than 24 hours after giving a very strong and very powerful endorsement to "a phenomenal candidate" in his party only to claim the next day he had never heard of "the person" and didn't know "where" they were from.
On Fox News, though, any misfiring that occurs within Dear Leader's big brain are simply ignored. Dear Leader has, after all, assured their viewers repeatedly that he "aces" all of the regular dementia screening tests his doctors ask him to take.
Other observers may look for reasons other than dementia to explain Trump's seemingly odd behavior, assuming, for example that:
- His hardwired, psychopathic need to "win at all costs" makes it physically impossible to attach his name to a humiliating defeat like the one suffered by the less-than-phenomenal Leigh Wambsganss in Texas' 9th State Senate District yesterday.
- Or maybe he is simply employing his now-familiar tactic of claiming ignorance about people, events, or controversies that do not align with his narrative.
Whatever the reason for Trump's real or feigned ignorance about the election in Texas, there's no escaping the reality that voters in the state sent Trump's preferred candidate to a crushing defeat.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet won by 14 points in a district Trump won by 17 in 2024
In a victory that stunned the Republican Party, a reliably red Texas District flipped blue on January 31, reports The Associated Press.
Taylor Rehmet's "victory added to Democrats’ record of overperforming in special elections so far this cycle. Democrats said it was further evidence that voters under the second Trump administration are motivated to reject GOP candidates and their policies."
After a string of post-2024 election successes, Democrats have reason to be bullish on their prospects in the 2026 midterms.
Pollsters and prediction markets agree that Democrats appear poised to to retake the House.
Even in the Senate, reports TIME, trends are making the heavily favored Republicans "skittish" and giving Democrats new reasons for optimism.
Now all we need are "free and fair" elections
Every time I write on Bluesky that Trump is going to cancel or rig the midterms I'm told to stop fearmongering because, despite how often he "jokes" about it, he's not allowed to actually do it.
The New York Times' Jamelle Bouie told us flat out on January 17, 2026 to stop worrying.
"Trump can't cancel the midterms."
But Trump already tried to overturn (aka "cancel") the 2020 presidential election.
To assume that Trump won't try to use his Supreme Court "get-out-of-jail-free card" — and deploy willing allies like Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and all of his newly expanded state propaganda machinery — to find new, nefarious, and Putin-inspired ways to declare emergencies, intimidate voters, purge voter rolls, flip votes, destroy ballots, delay mail-in votes, or do anything he or Stephen Miller can think of to rig the election would be foolish.
That's why my position has long been that:
"It would be naïve to assume that the status quo is guaranteed to continue. The sanctity of the 2026 elections is indeed under threat. And the reason is Mr. Trump."
But I didn't write those actual words.
They came from The New York Times Editorial Board on January 31.
According to the Times' editors:
The threat took on a new urgency this week, when F.B.I. agents searched an election center in Atlanta related to Mr. Trump’s baseless accusations of fraud in 2020. Chillingly, his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, accompanied agents on the search. As an article in The Times explained, the search “could be used to justify a forced takeover of the elections operation” in Georgia’s most populous county, which skews heavily Democratic. It is a reminder of Mr. Trump’s willingness to use the tools of state power — prosecutors, national security officials, National Guard members and F.B.I. and immigration agents — in the service of his political interests.
To look at this pattern and conclude that the 2026 midterm elections are safe is to leave American democracy exposed.
The Times piece offers a few ways to help, including: "Work the polls." "Watch the polls." And "don’t spread dubious information." They also suggest supporting:
- The Election Official Legal Defense Network. You can donate here.
- The Campaign Legal Center. You can donate here.
- The Carter Center. You can donate to the Carter Center’s democracy program here.
So that's where we are nine months out from the midterms.
Texas has turned on Trump — and after decades of GOP failures, Democrats are ready to seize the opportunity.
Nationwide, Democrats have all the momentum. In a normal year, Democrats would be poised to retake the House with ease.
But this is not a normal year. To quote The New York Times, "it would be naïve to assume that."
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