The American midterm elections will be held on November 3, 2026. Every national election, wherever it is held, is consequential, some more so than others.

One can be sure that given what has occurred in America under the two years of the presidency of Donald Trump, with his derisive disregard for America and the world, these elections will indeed be consequential in defining a viable future for America. All well-thinking Americans will agree that they will represent one of, if not the most consequential and impactful in living memory.

By well-thinking Americans, I am referring to those who mean the country well and desire to see it develop in ways that preserve its fundamental freedoms; who subscribe to the principle of law and order and the well-being of their neighbours; and who believe that anyone in this country can make a good life for themselves and their families by obeying the laws of the land and being governed by a robust work ethic. I mean those who have not surrendered their dignity by swearing allegiance and cultic loyalty to a wannabee potentate who suffers from Messianic delusions of grandeur and believe that morality and personal accountability are still indispensable principles by which they should live. I could go on, but I believe the picture is clear.

The well-thinking American is not just imbued with a good sense of what good citizenship and real patriotism is about. Such a citizen will fight tooth and nail to preserve and enhance the sacred traditions that were handed down to their nation by the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of its founding fathers. Interestingly, one of Trump’s much-trumpeted slogans when he was running for office instructed Americans to fight like hell to save the country. There has never been a time when this slogan is more relevant and demands to be heeded than it is now, but not for the purposes that he intended.

I have no doubt that if the Republicans should prevail in the midterms and the political status quo should continue as it is, we will see greater chaos and mayhem than we are presently witnessing. My jaws are still on the ground trying to understand why citizens should believe that the one who inspired the assault on the Capitol building on January 6, 2021 to prevent the orderly certifying of the people’s ballots and the installing of the new Congress would have the demeanour and disposition to now preside over a clean, energetic, and orderly process.

The American midterm elections will be held on November 3, 2026.

As such, I do not have much confidence there will be an orderly midterm. This will be especially so if the Democrats win, and worse, resoundingly. As the Republican Party and Trump himself have more than hinted, it is not within their best interest for this outcome to become a reality. It is certainly not the interest of the American people that is foremost in their minds, but the perpetuation of themselves in power so they can continue what I consider to be their predatory assault on the best interests of the country. Thus, they will fight tooth and nail to prevent this outcome. That, sadly, is my conclusion. I hope for the sake of the country that I am wrong. All well-thinking Americans should understand this and act to preserve whatever is left of the good name of the country.

While the election campaigns are in spate, the rest of the world looks on mainly in disillusionment, and some fear what America is becoming. The implicit trust they had in America as a force for good in the world is fast dissipating. This started before Trump, but is now on steroids as the president tears up treaties and dismantles alliances that have proven to be good for the world since the Second World War.

There is no country, however great it thinks itself, that can remain healthy and survive by alienating itself from the rest of the integrated world in which we all live. An “America first” philosophy in this respect is not only dangerous, but is also an anachronism deeply rooted in a philosophy of the past that did not serve the country well. And, then, the world was not as integrated technologically and economically as it is now.

It may be a good thing that Trump, by his erratic behaviour towards the rest of the world, has exposed the vulnerabilities that other countries had long regarded as America’s strengths; thus, their need to recalibrate their own policies to make them less dependent on America, which is deeply indebted, almost to the point of unsustainability.

Trump’s erratic tariff policy has upended the world economy in significant ways and made things more difficult for the ordinary citizen, not to mention the war with Iran which is presently doing more damage to the economic prospects of Americans than the tariffs have.

It is not within my province to comment on the mental state of the president. Like many, I have my suspicions. It is only sufficient for me to say the country has reached an inflection point in its history when it needs to see the greatest mental strength and wisdom of executive leadership in operation. The distrust between the governors and the governed is palpable and abysmally low.

It is not just about turning over the country to the Democrats. They, too, have their problems. Unfortunately, there are some Democrats who are sitting under the proverbial mango tree waiting for ripe mangos to fall in their laps. They believe that since the Republicans are unpopular, they are the natural choice. Those kinds are sorely mistaken and will be punished for taking the electorate for granted.

We need a revolution in thinking that really puts America’s interests first and foremost; that truly respects the dignity and freedom of the people; leadership that has the presence of mind that can confront with sagacity and clear-mindedness the techno-insanity of the oligarchs of our time; and that will reject the predatory instincts of autocrats who believe their views alone matter.

The social fabric of the country is severely torn. While many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, an oligarchy, aided and abetted by its Administration, treats $1 billion as $1,000 and seem not to have any real concern as to whether the country descends into autocratic chaos.

I believe this midterm may very well represent the best chance citizens have to save the country from falling off the proverbial cliff.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. Check out his Substack —
The Healing Self — on substack.com. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.

Raulston Nembhard