Could Trump Cancel Midterm?

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After yesterday’s losses Republicans worry next year will be just as bad for them. If Trump thinks he could lose Congress to Democrats who threaten his power trip how far will he go? Can we put this past him?

In this clip from our Trail Mix Live discussion, I chat with guest attorney Luis Prats about how far this administration’s obsession with “emergency powers” could stretch.


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63 thoughts on “Could Trump Cancel Midterm?”

  5. note to self: must edit Fitzgerald’s

    “The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself, embodying his idealized identity and aspirations.”

    to read DJ Fatsby of West Wing

  6. Gavin Newsom: “In 2026, we can de facto end Trump’s presidency as we know it.”

    Trail Mix Live on YouTube launches our new series — DEMOCRACY FIGHT BACK 🗳️
    Yes, it’s a call to action, not a passive observance.

    The fight for Congress, and for Democracy itself. BEAT THE CHEAT!

    🎥 Watch the kickoff →

  8. Stugimacallit, that was a Anon/BiD thing.

    Well, I guess I’m a Swifty for the day at least.

    Hah!! DJ Fatsby – who’d hire him? The Proud Boys for their NYE party?

  10. Now featured on Trail Mix Briefs

    By around December 22, Speaker Johnson must respond to a lawsuit from Arizona and Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva accusing him of blocking her swearing-in and leaving her district without a voice in Congress. The case argues that the Speaker can’t just sit on an election result to play politics, and it’s now sitting before a federal judge in D.C.

    Catch the full story and regular updates here:
    https://trailmix.cc/home/speaker-sued/

  13. “We broke into a million pieces
    And we can’t go back
    But now we’re seeing
    All the beauty in the broken glass
    The scars are part of me
    Darkness and harmony
    My voice without the lies
    This is what it sounds like!”
    — KPOP Demon Hunters

  14. Sunday Plans as the Trek is offering a Veterans Day discount for families.

    Trekking Around

    This picture from Northwest Trek in Washington. Hundreds of acres left to natures devices except for some fencing you can’t see to keep the carnivores from dining on the herbivores. Run a tram through it to keep the animals from being bothered by human beings, and you have a truly wonderful place to visit since they won’t let you move in and live there.

  16. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/courses/2025/10/27/rubble-trump-east-wing-renovations-famous-washington-d-c-municipal-golf-course/86930774007/

    East Potomac Park is a popular city-run golf property that includes an 18-hole course, two 9-hole courses and a miniature course. As part of the National Links Trust, Tom Doak was announced in charge of a redesign of the property.

    According to Politico:

    …the rubble is reportedly being transported to a Washington golf course the president has expressed interest in renovating.

    Trucks were spotted on Friday hauling loads of dirt from the demolition site and depositing them at East Potomac Park, a municipal island golf course along the Potomac River.

    The president has warmed to an idea, first presented to him by a staffer, of refurbishing and rebranding the public course sitting on the narrow strip of land in the river between National Airport and the Wharf. He even autographed a rendering of a new golden logo, nearly identical to those for the president’s other clubs, for what could be called “Washington National Golf Course.”

    *Well, it looks like some of the WH debris might be re-building a public golf course…where just anyone can play??? That doesn’t sound quite right. Wait, is there asbestos in that debris?

  17. Added this to my resistance playlist after Tuesday night’s wins…

    but be prepared for anything from tRUMPco, but as the song conveys, I think, keep hope alive…

    and when they go low, we drag them to hell.

    Love & Pettiness!
    bId

  18. “The two largest insurers that offer Medicare Advantage plans, UnitedHealthcare and Humana have both announced they are terminating or consolidating some plans for 2026.

    This doesn’t mean if your plan is terminated you will be without coverage. But it does mean your coverage will change. And if you don’t take control over choosing your new coverage you will be automatically defaulted into a plan that can leave you with greater financial responsibility for your health care bills.

    Even if your plan will continue in 2026, you need to make sure you understand what changes are in store for 2026. Are your doctors still in your MA network? The hospitals you prefer? Will your medications still be covered? Don’t assume anything.

    If you are in an MA plan that is being terminated in 2026, you have two options;

    1) Choose another Medicare Advantage Plan. You can work with a trusted Medicare broker/agent who shops across different providers, or you can do your own search using the Medicare website.

    2) Switch to Original Medicare. If you have been underwhelmed by your MA plan, you have an interesting opportunity when it is terminated. Under special rules that apply only when an MA plan is terminated, you are eligible to switch to Original Medicare and you will be allowed to purchase a supplemental Medigap policy without the insurer considering your pre-existing conditions.”

    From a Suze Orman email in my spam folder…and here I was looking forward to having Medicare in the future.

  19. My newish* favorite, uplifting song.
    *Heard an acoustic version in NYC from the man himself last year; apparently, this Raold Dahl production has been in the works for quite awhile. Wish Hayley Williams had been there. Tuesday night, the blue, magical things were released. More magic, please and thank you.

  20. https://apnews.com/article/flight-delays-cancellations-compensation-52d65b39d2cf063c43885e71bf88317c

    The Trump administration said Thursday it is abandoning a Biden-era plan that sought to require airlines to compensate stranded passengers with cash, lodging and meals for flight cancellations or changes caused by a carrier.

    The proposed rule would have aligned U.S. policy more closely with European airline consumer protections. It was proposed last December in the final weeks of then-President Joe Biden’s administration, leaving its fate in the hands of his Republican successor.

    In a document posted Thursday, President Donald Trump’s Transportation Department said its plan to scrap the proposed rule is “consistent with Department and administration priorities.” Trump has sought to significantly roll back or modify federal regulations that his administration deems are wasteful or burdensome.

    Industry trade group Airlines for America, which represents carriers including United, Delta and Southwest Airlines, welcomed the move by the Trump administration.

    ***

    https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/airline-passenger-rights-refunds-amid-delays-cancellations-government/story?id=127181659

    The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports across the country, officials announced on Wednesday, which could cut thousands of flights per day.

    The restrictions set to go into effect Friday morning will impact Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Boston Logan, all three New York City-area airports, Chicago O’Hare and many others.

    The Department of Transportation set out new rules regarding refunds last year, which are required by law for purchased airline tickets and fees for related services, making them automatic, prompt, in the form of the original payment and for the full amount.

    *Last year, under POTUS Joe. Is ABC behind the times or did passenger rights not actually get rolled back?

  21. https://www.newsweek.com/who-konstantin-nikolaev-money-mike-johnson-1870600

    In 2018, a group of Russians were able to donate to Johnson’s bid for the Louisiana seat he eventually won as the money was funneled through the Texas-based American Ethane company.
    While American Ethane was co-founded by American John Houghtaling, at the time it was 88 percent owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. Nikolaev is known to be a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Nikolaev and his two partners currently own a third of Globaltrans, Russia’s biggest private rail transport operator, and he previously worked in railroad freight and port businesses.
    He is also a part owner of Tula Cartridge Works, which has been supplying ammunition for Russian forces during its invasion of Ukraine.

    *Article from 2024…and this flew under the radar in 2018, I guess.

  23. Is Trump the GOP’s Ballast or Ball and Chain?

    What did we learn Tuesday about whether he is a drag or a safety net? The verdict: Republicans are almost exclusively winning Trump “approvers”, and there aren’t enough anymore to win as many races as they once did.

    Trump still defines the Republican ceiling and these days it’s too low for victory in key places. The party now needs to significantly outperform Trump’s numbers in suburban/moderate-leaning swing zones.

    If 2026 looks like Tuesday, Democrats win the House — unless the Republican brand can detox Trump or reinvent faster than gravity.

    Read the full brief:
    https://trailmix.cc/home/is-trump-the-gops-ballast-or-ball-and-chain/

  24. Election Night Results: Predictability in Texas, Predictably Angry Trump in D.C.

    One result from Tuesday night in North Texas that might come as a surprise to some is that a Democrat received the majority of votes in the District 9 Senate special election to replace former Sen. Kelly Hancock, now serving as state comptroller.

    Southlake has long been a Republican stronghold, but the lingering GOP civil war in Texas saw conservative voters split between Dan Patrick-backed Patriot Mobile leader Leigh Wambsganss and Miriam Adelson-backed former Southlake Mayor John Huffman.

    Although Wambsganss easily outpaced Huffman, she fell short of besting Democrat Taylor Rehmet, who missed avoiding a runoff with 47% of the vote.

    Wambsganass has also been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who carried Tarrant County in 2024, and will likely gain votes with Huffman off the ballot come runoff time.

    On Tuesday night as polls closed around the nation, Trump didn’t seem too pleased with the results, judging by a Truth Social post just after 9 p.m..

    “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT,” he wrote. “AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” according to Pollsters.”

  26. Please encourage D,OA to continue his “TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT AND SHUTDOWN WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” to try and excuse Tuesday’s election results. The only folks who MIGHT believe that distances him from the results are his lowest information and dumbest voters, and, of course, himself. Everyone else, and particularly the third of the folks who voted for him over Kamala who left him and voted otherwise Tuesday knows that Republicans lost because he’s fucking up a perfectly good country in ways they did not bargain for or approve of when the
    Oh, and keep posting that shutdowns are a lack of leadership by the president – or at least so says DJ Fatsby.

  27. Orange Adolf is probably blabbering about a digital ID system; one that will have your license, SS number, even your social media accounts, and it will be required to work, to vote, and to access your funds.

    There’s probably been a meeting about Peter Thiel’s Palantir surveillance-state project. Adolf understands nothing and loose lips sink ships…or just worries the crap out of folks.

    Fun fact, you are already ID’d when you buy eggs, unless you pay with cash. Credit cards track every purchase, and if you still write checks (like many folks around here), you have to show ID; the check is tied to the receipt listing your eggs.

    Oh, there’s surveillance video of you walking into the store empty-handed, at the checkout counter with your eggs, and leaving the store. Depending on where you live and how you got there, your bus pass is tracking you or a FLOCK camera is pinging your license plate along the way. Your smartphone is tattling on you, as well, unless all of your apps are set to not allow tracking, including the find-my-phone feature, and you’re on airplane mode…and I’m not sure it’s still not being used to track you.

    One thing I’ve noticed about joining the live chats, even if I mute my mic before I leave, there’s still a live mic icon in the oval that notifies you if a mic is on/a call is coming in/etc., so I always have to clear out my Safari, as putting it on airplane mode momentarily doesn’t kill the mic.

  28. Here is the graf I had AI Sam make for me. It’s remarkable how the GOP vote and Trump approval are almost identical. And they lost!

    Ergo, not enough MAGA voters showed up to win, and Republicans aren’t winning enough non-MAGA voters to win.

  31. Ergo, not enough MAGA voters showed up to win, and Republicans aren’t winning enough non-MAGA voters to win.

    yeah, but

    it was an odd-year election

  32. The West Wing debate 20 years ago when politics were actually sane.

    https://www.goldderby.com/tv/2025/the-west-wing-live-debate-anniversary-jimmy-smits/#recipient_hashed=fe1a21485126d0ac7b44e084935cc08c37f29ef5b0822d0b2069c5e3b1d07a97&recipient_salt=ce4c3c46b456a4887f71b1ee9390d9b6e6a94e6db5bb8b9c789a59ba51b1ed22&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=GoldDerby_News&utm_content=644768_11-06-2025&utm_term=438002?utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=News+and+Predictions&utm_content=644768_11-6-2025&utm_id=644768

  33. my take away is that motivated Democrats can beat unmotivated Republicans

    I don’t know that they can beat motivated Republicans though, maybe

  34. i’m listening to a podcast of people of average intelligence discussing politics

    It’s not particularly inspiring

    they’re afraid of “socialism” 🦜

  35. Bwahahahahahah. WaPo.

    Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer
    Sean C. Dunn admitted he flung the hoagie at a federal agent. His attorneys called it a “harmless gesture” of protest as Trump commandeered D.C. police.

    By Salvador Rizzo
    A jury on Thursday acquitted a D.C. man who was charged with assault after throwing a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the capital.

    The one-sided food fight, which was captured on video and spread through social media, became a slapstick symbol of resistance to Trump’s summertime takeover of local law enforcement. The defendant, Sean C. Dunn, said he was speaking out against fascism and anti-migrant policies from the Trump administration.

    U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the 37-year-old Air Force veteran was not on trial for protesting but for “throwing a sandwich at a federal officer at point-blank range.” Prosecutors sought to indict Dunn on a felony assault count, but a grand jury rejected that charge, and prosecutors downgraded it to a misdemeanor.
    The trial jury in U.S. District Court rejected that charge as well, deliberating for seven hours over two days before returning the not-guilty verdict.

    It was the highest-profile repudiation to date of Pirro’s efforts to ratchet up penalties for local offenses. Grand juries have declined to indict several people accused of assaulting federal officers this year. A trial jury last month acquitted a D.C. woman, Sydney L. Reid, who had rowdily protested an immigration arrest at the doors of the city jail and was charged with the same misdemeanor as Dunn.

    The prosecution called two witnesses at Dunn’s trial: the Customs and Border Protection agent who was on the receiving end of the sandwich and a Metro Transit Police detective who saw the Aug. 10 incident unfold. Defense attorneys called no witnesses.

    The straitlaced court proceedings seemed to crack at times as lawyers played video of Dunn bobbing up and down, hurling expletives at a group of law enforcement officers patrolling a popular nightlife area at 14th and U Streets NW, as a bystander chuckled at the scene and offered running commentary. (“No, Superman!”)

    Jurors also saw video of the sandwich being thrown, the short-lived foot chase that followed and Dunn’s statements after the arrest: “I did it. I threw a sandwich. I did it to draw them away from where they were. I succeeded.”
    […]

    Elect a clown, expect a circus.

  42. I just got back from Grand Rapids. As I was leaving a store, some young guy called out to me and asked if I would be willing to sign his petition to make Voter ID required by law. I said, “No…I’m good.” and I walked away.

  47. So Mrs. P and I are going up to New York to visit LP over the Thanksgiving holiday. So he calls me up and says hey would you like to go see John Schofield while you’re here? Well hell yes. I knew he was an older guy so I looked him up and I’m actually three days older than he is. So here’s LP keen on a jazz guitarist three days younger than I am playing in a jazz club in New York City. I never saw that coming. Kid may be more of a chip off the old block than I thought.

  52. The incel’s alleged motive was no real motive at all, but you know who has motive?

    The performative fake cryer

  57. From the “Ok i get why people like Mamdani” files:

    “And I think that that’s also something I’m really interested in as the next mayor of the city is — how do we create more third spaces? How do we create more places where people can hang out? People can just be themselves without this constant pressure of having to spend money through every single interaction they have?” -Mamdani

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/zohran-mamdani-has-1-piece-of-simple-advice-for-women-who-find-their-boyfriends-embarrassing_n_690ba554e4b060444b1083d5/amp

  59. @SecRollins
    CONFIRMED! The first shipment of sorghum is on its way to China thanks to our Deal-Maker-in-Chief, @POTUS!

    *BS to Brooke! Dumb Don-Old made the mess and sorghum ain’t soybeans! Looking at a 30% reduction in soybean sales to China if that agreement (which was floated in April & July & October) holds. For now, China is getting soybeans from Brazil & Argentina. The US, under Donald Judas tRUMPsky, is an unreliable partner.

  60. Well, Central Park & High Line Park & the fountain at Lincoln Center are my favorite, free spaces in NYC.

    Pogo – Please go see the pigeon on the plinth on the High Line for me. It was put on its roost a day after I left last year. It’s right by Hudson Yards, where there’s nothing to do but spend money.

    Oh, if you haven’t checked out City Winery near Pier 57, due south of the giant pigeon, they have some great bands. Food is decent, the view of the Hudson River (it’s right by Little Island) is stunning in the evening. Not really a wine person, so I can’t comment, but they have a lot of it.

    The guy that owns City Winery, Michael Dorf, does a charity event (music in public schools) at Carnegie Hall every spring. In 2023, it was the music of Paul McCartney; he and Shlomo put together a phenomenal show. Next spring will be the music of Billy Joel.

    If you need a waffle, the Empire Diner is close by, as is the Whitney Museum, if you need to look at a painting or something.
    I love Chelsea…but all of those tourists.

    For great views on the other side of Manhattan, take the sky tram to Roosevelt Island. A nice place to walk around in the spring.

  61. Can’t get the poster pic to cooperate, but this was the list of performers. The “Sold Out” banner cut off the house band after Will Lee (the blonde guy from David Letterman/Paul Schaefer’s band).

    THE MUSIC OF
    PAUL MCCARTNEY
    STERN AUDITORIUM / PERELMAN STAGE AT CARNEGIE HALL
    MARCH 15, 2023 8PM
    18TH ANNUAL BENEFIT

    PETER ASHER
    THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS
    CHRISTOPHER CROSS
    GLEN HANSARD
    BRUCE HORNSBY
    DENNY LAINE
    LAKE STREET DIVE
    BETTYE LAVETTE
    HAMILTON LEITHAUSER
    LYLE LOVETT
    NATALIE MERCHANT
    INGRID MICHAELSON
    GRAHAM NASH
    JENNIFER NETTLES
    SAMMY RAE
    RESISTANCE REVIVAL CHORUS
    ALLISON RUSSELL *
    JONATHAN RUSSELL
    (FROM THE HEAD AND THE HEART) SHOVELS & ROPE
    PATTI SMITH
    NANCY WILSON
    STEVE JORDAN (DP’ WILL LEE…

    (Natalie Merchant was a no-show. Some of the people I hadn’t heard of, like Sammy Rae, could’ve held the audience for the entire time by themselves. There was a dinner and rehearsal at City Winery the night before; Peter Asher and Denny Laine (RIP) came around and chatted beforehand.
    There was an after-party at City Winery after the Carnegie Hall show the next night, but I was too tired to go. LoL, so I gave some rando outside my pass to get in. He was elated.)

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