What Trump said on canceling 2026 midterm election and why it sparked a row | Hindustan Times

What Trump said on canceling 2026 midterm election and why it sparked a row

Updated on: Jan 07, 2026 02:57 AM IST

Trump warned GOP of midterm losses and impeachment, joking he won’t mention canceling elections to avoid “dictator” labels.

2026 is the year of the midterm elections, and in the first week of the new year itself, it seems fear of a potential Republican loss is looming on Donald Trump's mind.

Trump speaks to GOP lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6.(AP)
Trump speaks to GOP lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6.(AP)

On Monday, in Trump's open event of 2026, he spoke to around 70 GOP lawmakers at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C., and his speech ticked all the key points that concern the GOP in the upcoming midterms. He also laid out the consequences of a potential loss and a possible impeachment if the House GOP loses majority.

But what seemed to cause a lot of buzz was his comments on potentially canceling the midterm elections. But though some reports claimed that Trump floated the idea of canceling the elections, that is not exactly what he said.

In his speech, Trump said that he won't talk about canceling the election because the "fake news" will call him a "dictator". He was talking about how "mean" the Democrats are because they will impeach him if the House GOP fails to secure a victory in the midterms.

“I won’t say cancel the election, they should cancel the election because the fake news will say ‘he wants the elections canceled. He’s a dictator.’ They always call me a dictator,” the POTUS said with a smirk.

That Trump is concerned about a possible Democrats victory was evident in how he spoke about the inevitability of the party in power losing some seats due to anti-incumbency.

"I don’t know what it is. There’s something psychological, like you vote against,” he said. “But they say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm.”

Trump also commented on his falling favorability rating and admitted that he could not comprehend why it was falling "because we have the right policy.”

Also read: Who was Kristen Marie Kovatch? DNA traces confirm hikers' death in mountain lion attack

Trump Defends Tarriff Regime Despite Affordability Issues

Polls show that the favorability for Trump has fallen among US voters due to the rising price of commodities, which is partly a result of the tariff war that the Trump has waged. Trump claimed that tariffs are making the US “rich."

"We are getting rich because of the tariffs. I hope everyone understands that." Trump said. He also discussed the tariff on countries that are importin Russian oil saying that Russian oil imports have been cut down by those countries under US pressure.

The midterm elections in the US are scheduled for November 2026.

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
close
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
Get App
crown-icon
Subscribe Now!
.affilate-product { padding: 12px 10px; border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: 0 0 6px 0 rgba(64, 64, 64, 0.16); background-color: #fff; margin: 0px 0px 20px; } .affilate-product #affilate-img { width: 110px; height: 110px; position: relative; margin: 0 auto 10px auto; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0.2px 0.5px #00000017; border-radius: 6px; } #affilate-img img { max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } .affilate-heading { font-size: 16px; color: #000; font-family: "Lato",sans-serif; font-weight:700; margin-bottom: 15px; } .affilate-price { font-size: 24px; color: #424242; font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-weight:900; } .affilate-price del { color: #757575; font-size: 14px; font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-weight:400; margin-left: 10px; text-decoration: line-through; } .affilate-rating .discountBadge { font-size: 12px; border-radius: 4px; font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-weight:400; color: #ffffff; background: #fcb72b; line-height: 15px; padding: 0px 4px; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; min-width: 63px; height: 24px; text-align: center; margin-left: 10px; } .affilate-rating .discountBadge span { font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-weight:900; margin-left: 5px; } .affilate-discount { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: end; margin-top: 10px } .affilate-rating { font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-weight:400; color: black; display: flex; align-items: center; } #affilate-rating-box { width: 48px; height: 24px; color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: center; border-radius: 2px; background-color: #508c46; white-space: nowrap; display: inline-flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 4px; margin-right: 5px; } #affilate-rating-box img { height: 12.5px; width: auto; } #affilate-button{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; position: relative; } #affilate-button img { width: 58px; position: absolute; bottom: 42px; right: 0; } #affilate-button button { width: 101px; height: 32px; font-size: 14px; cursor: pointer; text-transform: uppercase; background: #00b1cd; text-align: center; color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; font-family: 'Lato',sans-serif; font-weight:900; padding: 0px 16px; display: inline-block; border: 0; } @media screen and (min-width:1200px) { .affilate-product #affilate-img { margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; } .affilate-product { display: flex; position: relative; } .affilate-info { width: calc(100% - 130px); min-width: calc(100% - 130px); display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: space-between; } .affilate-heading { margin-bottom: 8px; } .affilate-rating .discountBadge { position: absolute; left: 10px; top: 12px; margin: 0; } #affilate-button{ flex-direction: row; gap:20px; align-items: center; } #affilate-button img { width: 75px; position: relative; top: 4px; } }