President Donald Trump has his sights set on the upcoming midterm elections, as his approval ratings continue to slip in many polls across the board.
With Democrats recently flipping a Texas state Senate seat in a significant upset, Trump’s MAGA/Republican Party continues to be reminded of their growing unpopularity with the American people, giving them a taste of what is to come in the 2026 midterms.
In a recent interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, Trump gave his usual, par-for-the-course rants about the country’s elections. He walked back on his statement calling for “nationalizing” elections, instead choosing to target specific regions of the country—specifically, Democratic-led cities such as Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.
“There are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt,” Trump stated. “They have very corrupt elections. Take a look at Detroit, take a look at Philadelphia, take a look at Atlanta. There are some areas that are unbelievably corrupt.” As expected, Trump didn’t provide any evidence to back his baseless accusation.
Trump Will Only Trust Election Results If They Are ‘Honest’
During his lengthy diatribe, Trump accused Democrats of “cheating” on the elections, making the disingenuous claim that they don’t want voter IDs. Although Democratic lawmakers have no qualms about voter identification, they are concerned with burdensome rules and regulations that aim to disenfranchise certain demographics and lead to voter suppression. The latest controversy in Congress is the Republican-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act).
Provisions of the legislation require voters to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as passports and birth certificates, in addition to photo ID. Democrats argue the SAVE Act is another Republican attempt at voter suppression that will disproportionately affect minorities, young and elderly voters, and married women who changed their last names.
When asked by Llamas if he will accept the results of the midterms if Republicans lose control of Congress, Trump responded, “I will if the elections are honest.” However, Trump seemed to imply that any election results that don’t mimic the results of the 2024 presidential election mean cheating took place. “I just had a great election, they say one of the greatest elections ever. Won all seven swing states, won 84% of the counties in America. That’s why… I believe there was cheating,” Trump stated.
Moreover, Trump has repeatedly and baselessly accused the Democrats of cheating on the elections, so it comes into question if Trump will view any Democratic win as an “honest” win. Recently, during an executive order signing ceremony on January 30, 2025, Trump accused Abigail Spanberger of cheating to win the Virginia governor’s race.
Whether or not Trump will accept Democrats retaking Congress in the upcoming midterms remains to be seen. If the Democrats do retake the House and/or Senate, Trump’s current rhetoric indicates another repeat of the aftermath that followed the 2020 presidential election results.
