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The 3 Tiers of Power in the Midterms
Tariffs and war powers are out of Tuesday’s reach. Here’s what isn’t.
Everyone will be watching the electoral map on Tuesday night in America. But more of us should be focused on which levers change hands and when. How does power transfer if Dems win the House, or if they win both the House and Senate? What could that lead Trump to do from the Executive Branch?
As I said in my last midterms piece:
There’s a consistent trend with Trump and his administration — the more they disregard or defy the rules of the game, the more threatened they feel. The defiance of institutions and rules that otherwise ordinary people must follow is not a signal of strength but fear; fear they will lose power.
I called these actions “costly moves.” The price of these moves is only worth paying if the incumbent (Trump) expects the vote to be close or lost. A great example of this is Trump instructing DOJ to preemptively challenge the Alaska Senate election, but only if the GOP loses.
You don’t make those moves — challenging election results before you have them — if you think you’re going to win.
And he’s made many of these moves, as I explained in my last piece. Democrats are also looking stronger in the polls, with the House well…
