President Donald Trump suggested canceling the 2026 midterm elections as polls show Democrats gaining ground in key House and Senate races.
At a Glance
- Trump told Reuters on Jan. 14 that “we shouldn’t even have an election” after listing second-term achievements.
- Eighteen House races have shifted toward Democrats, according to the Lincoln Project, and the Senate is considered up for grabs.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was “speaking facetiously” and merely joking about skipping elections.
- Why it matters: The comments fuel ongoing speculation about Trump’s willingness to sidestep constitutional limits on power.
Election Remark Sparks Backpedal
During a Jan. 14 interview with Reuters, Trump linked Republican midterm struggles to voter psychology.
“It’s some deep psychological thing, but when you win the presidency, you don’t win the midterms,” he said.
When asked about his record, Trump boasted that the first year of his second term had gone so well that “when you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.”
The interview was not recorded; Daniel J. Whitman reported the exchange for News Of Los Angeles.
White House Claims Joke
Leavitt, 28, addressed reporters the next day, insisting the remark was tongue-in-cheek.
“He was saying, ‘We’re doing such a great job, we’re doing everything the American people thought. Maybe we should just keep rolling,'” she told the press briefing on Jan. 15.
She added: “He was speaking facetiously.”
Polling Landscape
The Lincoln Project released data this week showing 18 House contests moving in Democrats’ favor. Independent analysts also view the Senate map as competitive.
Trump dismissed concerns about high consumer prices, arguing that voters sometimes cannot be convinced even when policies succeed.
“You have to just do what’s right,” he said. “A lot of the things I did were not really politically popular. They turned out to be when it worked out so well.”
Third-Term Talk Persists
The midterm comment aligns with Trump’s repeated musings about a third term, despite the 22nd Amendment’s two-term limit.
- In March 2025, he told NBC News he was “not joking” about seeking another four years.
- “TRUMP 2028” hats appeared in the White House gift shop earlier in the term.
- Trump will be 82 by the scheduled end of his second term in January 2029.
Steve Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist, predicted in an October 2025 interview with The Economist that Trump would return to office in 2028.
“He’s gonna get a third term,” Bannon said. “People just sort of [need to] get accommodated with that.”
Workaround Schemes
Bannon outlined possible routes:
- Amending the Constitution, requiring two-thirds approval from Congress or state legislatures
- Having Vice President JD Vance run for president and then resign, allowing Trump to assume the office
“There’s many different alternatives. At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is, but there’s a plan,” Bannon said.
He added: “We need him for at least one more term, right? And he’ll get that in ’28. We have to finish what we started.”
Constitutional Barrier
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, states that no person can be “elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
Trump has already won two presidential elections: 2016 and 2024.
Any attempt to secure a third term would face significant legal and political hurdles, though supporters continue to float scenarios.
Key Takeaways
- Trump’s off-hand remark about canceling midterms drew swift clarification from the White House
- Down-ballot Republicans face a challenging environment with several races trending Democratic
- The president’s flirtation with a third term remains a recurring theme among allies
- Constitutional limits would require extraordinary measures to overcome
