Happy New Year! Last year was certainly one for the record books. It was a rollercoaster ride that most of us never signed up for. The stock market hit record highs at the same time the United States dropped out of the top 20 democracies and is now ranked 21st on the democracy index. We are currently viewed as a ‘flawed democracy.’ One of the largest public demonstrations in U.S. history took place in October with the “No Kings Day’ protests against the Trump administration’s draconian policies. Approximately 7 million people participated. At the same time, more prisoners were executed, more people were incarcerated and more people were detained and held by ICE than any time in recent memory.
Inflation and farm bankruptcies went up, driven in large part by Trump’s tariffs, but trust in Trump’s policies to manage the economy and bring prices down plummeted. The budget for ICE skyrocketed while the budget for many domestic programs and USAID and other foreign assistance was gutted.
On average Congress passes 300 bills per year but in 2025 the number was more like 125. The fortunes of the Trump family increased significantly while the purchasing power of many average Americans went down as they were struggling with housing costs, putting food on the table and medical expenses.
Threats against our former allies increased significantly with Trump’s bellicose rhetoric against Panama, Greenland, Canada, and Europe as a whole. There was a dramatic increase in extrajudicial killings of suspected drug smugglers from Venezuela and every indication of a pending armed confrontation with that South American country. And through all of this, the reputation of the United States on the world stage has plummeted which has only benefited China.
Retaliation against Trump’s real and perceived critics and ‘enemies’ has increased dramatically with the assistance of his sycophantic Attorney General, Pam Bondi. These quixotic pursuits are not free but a huge waste of tax dollars to satisfy the insatiable desire for revenge from one man.
The federal workforce has been decimated but the level of incompetence of leadership has risen dramatically. Science and expertise have been cast aside for ideology and cult-like loyalty to a person rather than to a country and a constitution.
It truly has been a hell of a ride and we survived. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that 2026 will likely be even more of a gut-wrenching ride. It is likely that the ongoing Epstein files saga will ultimately be revealed to be a coverup that might make Watergate look like amateur hour. There are very likely a lot of wealthy, powerful people who will be willing to abet in keeping these files under wraps or heavily redacted.
Most importantly, however, are the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. There is absolutely no doubt that Trump and the GOP are feeling the pressure given the plummeting approval ratings on the economy and Trump’s tariffs. Now, people will be hit will huge increases in medical insurance premiums due to Congress’s inaction on the ACA subsidies. This cannot bode well for Trump and the GOP. Given that, Trump and his GOP sycophantic circus will do everything in their power, legal and illegal, to keep the Democrats from retaking the House (and possibly the Senate) in the midterm elections.
We have already seen the redistricting wars taking place across the country. And Trump will clearly use his pardon power and other levers of government to protect anyone who is willing to do his bidding, legal or illegal. He has been trying to pardon Tina Peters, who was convicted under state laws in Colorado for charges stemming from her tampering with the 2020 election results, even though the presidential pardon power does not extend to the states. So, instead, he is withholding funds and vetoing projects for Colorado in retaliation. Make no mistake, Trump will dangle presidential pardons for anyone willing to act on his behalf breaking federal laws if it means preventing the Democrats from retaking any part of Congress.
It’s hard to predict exactly what twists and turns will happen in 2026, but one thing is certain, it will be a damned wild ride so buckle up!
