Democrats are campaigning as if the 2026 election will be fair. That’s a mistake

‘Democrats have focused on mobilizing to compete successfully in November, but not on taking action now to ensure the election is not rigged through executive action, intimidation, or interference with vote counting.’ Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Last week, during an Oval Office interview with Reuters, Donald Trump touted his accomplishments and suggested that they were so great that “we shouldn’t even have an election” in November. Not surprisingly, that comment made headlines.

But it is at best a distraction from the real threat: the United States will have elections this year, but they will not be free and fair.