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ANALYSIS

President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of skipping the November midterm elections, a moment that could cost Republicans their narrow grip on Congress. While aides insist he is joking, the remarks point to deeper anxiety about public support, political power, and control of the political narrative.

Trump appears genuinely baffled by his weak approval ratings. In a recent speech to House Republicans, he openly questioned why the public mood has turned against him, despite what he sees as policy success. Polling backs up his concern: surveys show his approval underwater across every major issue.

Publicly, Trump often walks back his most provocative comments. After suggesting to Reuters that Republicans have been so successful that elections might not even be necessary, the White House described the remark as “facetious.” But the idea itself is not new. Trump has made similar comments for months, sometimes framed as humour, sometimes seriously.

This pattern is familiar. Trump often introduces extreme ideas as jokes, only to later pursue them more seriously. His once-ridiculed interest in buying Greenland was real. His talk of serving a third term, though unconstitutional, persisted until recently. Even his reaction to Ukraine postponing elections during wartime revealed a telling sense of envy at the concept of governing without electoral pressure.

Historically, the United States has never suspended federal elections due to war or crisis. Elections were held during the War of 1812, the Civil War, and both world wars. The Constitution mandates that a new Congress be sworn in every two years, and while Congress could theoretically move Election Day, it has no authority to cancel elections altogether. The president has no such power at all.

Trump’s fixation on the midterms is politically rational. Presidents almost always lose seats in their first midterm, and Republicans’ majorities in both chambers are razor-thin. Even a modest loss would hand control of the House to Democrats, empowering them to block legislation, control spending, and launch investigations into the administration. This looming reality helps explain the administration’s rush to push through sweeping changes early in the term.

Underlying it all is Trump’s longstanding distrust of the US electoral system. He has repeatedly claimed elections are rigged, including those he won, despite no evidence of widespread fraud. He has even said he regrets not taking more drastic steps after losing the 2020 election, including deploying the National Guard to seize voting machines.

Despite their humour, election officials are taking these statements seriously. The concern is not that the president can cancel elections — he cannot — but that continued rhetoric undermining electoral legitimacy conditions the public to doubt results and accept extraordinary measures.

In that sense, Trump's comments may be less about cancelling elections and more about normalising the idea that elections themselves are optional obstacles to power, as CNN reported via Yahoo.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN | Yahoo 2026-01-20

 

 

Maybe American voters will send Trump JD Vance and their group into the wilderness for the next 40 years, in the mid

term elections.

Oh does that sound too Biblical?

Telling that he can't understand why so many have turned against him. Good sign of a deeply delusional, unstable person--not someone you want as dog catcher, let alone president. Scary any way you look at it.

Trump simply will call for a "state emergency threat", with that cancelling the mid term and the next election.

The republicans, knowing many till maybe even all might loose their mandate, will support him.

Has he explained yet why, after going to all the effort of rigging the 2020 election, 'they' didn't bother with the 2024 one?

A delusional felon with no grip on reality surrounded by yes men and sycophants - what can possibly go wrong?

4 hours ago, Harry Vibhavadi said:

Trump simply will call for a "state emergency threat", with that cancelling the mid term and the next election.

The republicans, knowing many till maybe even all might loose their mandate, will support him.

Presidents do not have the power to delay or cancel elections

The Constitution requires that a new Congress be sworn in on January 3, 2027. Election Day is set in law, so it is theoretically feasible for Congress to move it, but not to cancel the election. Elections are supposed to be administered by each state, so state governors and legislatures could, in theory, move their own elections to deal with a major disaster, but there’s no precedent for it.

2 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Presidents do not have the power to delay or cancel elections

The Constitution requires that a new Congress be sworn in on January 3, 2027. Election Day is set in law, so it is theoretically feasible for Congress to move it, but not to cancel the election. Elections are supposed to be administered by each state, so state governors and legislatures could, in theory, move their own elections to deal with a major disaster, but there’s no precedent for it.

What if they were at war?

7 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

What if they were at war?

Ask all Magas who are asking why Zelenski hasn't cancelled

7 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

What if they were at war?

America has never cancelled a election even for a war its in the constitution google is your friend

It's more than obvious. Trump will not allow his power base to be destroyed.

He has followed the steps of previous dictators to the letter, there is no way on this earth he will allow free & fair mid-terms. I have said it consistently since April 2025.

A post with a derogatory political neologism to belittle or mock individuals with differing political views and the replies have been removed.

On 1/20/2026 at 11:24 AM, Stargeezr said:

Maybe American voters will send Trump JD Vance and their group into the wilderness for the next 40 years, in the mid

term elections.

Oh does that sound too Biblical?

I'd prefer a lake of fire, but whatever

Thing with Trump's 'jokes': they are not funny. Most often they are huge oversteps regarding acceptable political behavior that no decent person would approve of... and he tries to weasel out of owning his statements by calling them 'jokes' At least Adolf didn't do that...

10 minutes ago, Emdog said:

and he tries to weasel out of owning his statements by calling them 'jokes'

Only if his 'jokes' don't get support.

15 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Presidents do not have the power to delay or cancel elections

The Constitution requires that a new Congress be sworn in on January 3, 2027. Election Day is set in law, so it is theoretically feasible for Congress to move it, but not to cancel the election. Elections are supposed to be administered by each state, so state governors and legislatures could, in theory, move their own elections to deal with a major disaster, but there’s no precedent for it.

There's no precedent, either, for much of what Trump is doing and proposing, some, such as tariffs, Venezuela, Greenland, etc., illegally.

Trump is clearly joking. Top bants.

Unfortunately, the UK's tyrant PM is very much not joking.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/starmer-accused-of-running-scared-local-elections-cancelled-delayed-5HjdQmL_2/

Funny how the left call Trump a dictator while walking all over Democracy. They prove once again that they are exactly what they accuse others of being.

19 hours ago, still kicking said:

Ask all Magas who are asking why Zelenski hasn't cancelled

The Ukranian Constitution is different from the US Constitution.

12 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

The Ukranian Constitution is different from the US Constitution.

It seems to work while the US one under the uncontrolled Trump does not!