Taking Back the Levers of Power
“The Big Beautiful Bill and the Waiting Game After Midterms”
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for the post‑midterm analysis.
If an alien were to descend from the sky and whisk Donald Trump away tomorrow, the political damage would not stop. The cruelty, corruption, and chaos that have gripped our democracy would continue without missing a beat. That is because Trump, for all his political ignorance, moral bankruptcy, and general unfitness for the presidency, is not the architect of the ongoing assault on our democratic norms. He is the figurehead, the puppet.
The real machinery of this damage runs through Congress. This is where his enablers sit, the ones who shield him, protect him, and in many cases, cheer him on. They make his most dangerous impulses possible, not because they believe in them, but because they fear him. That fear is not about his wrath in the Oval Office. It is about his grip on the Republican base.
Despite his staggering incompetence as president, millions of Republican voters see Trump as a man without fault. They believe his falsehoods, excuse his failures, and defend him against every charge of corruption or cruelty. In their eyes, he is not the problem. He is the solution. This unwavering loyalty gives him influence, at best, and control, at worst, over the party’s base. For Republican members of Congress, crossing him risks losing that base’s support and, with it, their political survival.
That fear can be turned into our power. When lawmakers believe voters might punish them, they take notice. The midterms are our opportunity to remind them that their seats are not permanent, their power is not limitless, and their loyalty to a corrupt leader has consequences. If they will not reclaim the reins of sanity, and history suggests they will not, then voters must replace them with people who are not as morally and ethically bankrupt as the current crop.
We have been here before. In 1974, the Watergate scandal decimated Republican ranks in Congress. Voters punished those who had shielded Richard Nixon, flipping 49 House seats and four in the Senate. In 2006, outrage over the Iraq War and government corruption cost Republicans 30 House seats and six in the Senate, stripping President George W. Bush of his congressional majority. In 2018, opposition to Trump’s policies and behavior drove the highest midterm turnout in over a century. Democrats gained 41 House seats, fueled by a wave of suburban voters who had once been reliable Republicans.
Trump holds powers unique to the presidency. He can grant pardons without oversight, often rewarding political allies and convicted criminals whose loyalty he wished to secure. He can issue executive orders that redirect the machinery of government without legislative debate. As commander-in-chief, he can order military action without immediate congressional approval. Nearly everything else, including a veto, can be challenged, blocked, or overridden by Congress. The legislative branch has the authority to check him. It chooses not to.
Turning Outrage Into Votes
Midterm elections rarely draw the same crowds as presidential years. Turnout is often 10 to 20 points lower, and those who show up tend to be older, wealthier, and more consistent voters. But when public anger and fear spike, the equation changes. History shows that moments of national outrage can drive midterm turnout high enough to alter the political balance.
1974: After Nixon’s resignation, turnout surged to nearly 39 percent of eligible voters, and Democrats made sweeping gains.
1994: Republican anger over the Clinton administration fueled a historic shift, gaining 54 House seats and eight Senate seats.
2006: Opposition to the Iraq War and GOP corruption scandals drove Democrats to take both chambers. Turnout hit 40 percent.
2018: Fear of unchecked power under Trump pushed turnout above 50 percent, the highest in a midterm since 1914.
Anger motivates, but fear focuses. Lawmakers who fear losing their seats sometimes shift positions to avoid voter backlash. More often, they dig in deeper, counting on their base to shield them. Breaking that protection requires turnout large enough to overcome gerrymandering, voter suppression, and entrenched political machinery.
Fear also moves voters. When people believe a core right or principle is under threat, whether democracy itself, reproductive freedom, or the rule of law, they are more likely to see voting as a direct defense.
The Opportunity Now
This November, fear and anger are both present. Millions are alarmed by the erosion of democratic norms, the normalization of political violence, and the enabling of a leader unfit for office. The question is not whether the emotions exist. The question is whether they will be turned into votes.
History is clear. When outrage and fear meet organization and turnout, midterms can change everything. The people in power know this. They are counting on apathy to keep them safe. Prove them wrong.
Turn Outrage Into Votes
The people in Congress can protect democracy or enable its erosion. If they fear losing their seats more than they fear a corrupt leader’s wrath, they will act differently. That fear is built at the ballot box.
Midterms are not an off year. They decide who writes the laws, sets the rules, and holds the president to account. Vote as if every seat matters. Organize as if every vote counts.
- Talk to your neighbors about what is at stake
- Help someone register to vote
- Volunteer with a campaign that aligns with your values
- Show up, every time, for every election
