Scathing Philly paper editorial warns Trump has 'no bottom' with push to 'rig midterms'

With the 2026 midterm elections less than four months away, Democrats got some good news when the Cook Political Report, on Friday morning, moved its analysis in four gubernatorial races in favor of Democratic candidates. Meanwhile, in the battle for control of Congress, the Graham Platner scandal has Democratic strategists worried about their chances of flipping the U.S. Senate — although Democrats are still feeling optimistic about the U.S. House of Representatives. But the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board, in a scathing Friday editorial, argues that President Donald Trump will try every dirty trick he can think of to keep Republicans in control of Congress.

"Let's begin with the obvious: Donald Trump is out to rig the midterm elections," the Inquirer's editorial board warns. "We know this because the president commits many of his illegal acts in broad daylight. For the past year, Trump has revved up his election-tampering efforts by throwing everything at the proverbial wall. He called for nationalizing elections, pushed to redraw election maps, slashed funding for election security, moved to restrict voting, targeted election workers, rewarded election deniers, and continued to repeat baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was fixed. Trump even mused about canceling the November midterms."

The editorial lays out a variety of ways in which Trump is trying to increase Republicans' advantage in the midterms.

"If the Great Experiment in self-government that the Founders began 250 years ago is to continue, we need free and fair elections," the Inquirer's editorial board writes. "But Trump is working feverishly to tilt the playing field to ensure Republicans win. Last summer, he pushed GOP lawmakers in Texas to take the rare step of redrawing congressional maps in the middle of the decade to add more Republican seats. Lawmakers in other red states, including Florida, Ohio, and Missouri, followed Trump's blatant call for gerrymandering. Some blue states, like California, moved to do the same to offset the Republican scheme, sparking an undemocratic arms race."

The Inquirer editorial writers warn that Trump will only intensify his "all-out attack on the election system" as November draws closer.

"This week, Trump's Justice Department threatened criminal charges against Pennsylvania's top election officials if they let noncitizens vote," the Inquirer board explains. "Other states received a similar warning, even though the issue is exceedingly rare and already illegal. But Trump's baseless rhetoric helps to sow distrust in elections — something he has done throughout his tumultuous decade in politics. Trump has demonstrated he will cross any line…. So, how much further will Trump go to get his desired election results? With Trump, there is no bottom."