No One Is Coming To Save Us!

Why the 2026 Midterms Matter More Than You Think

In a country that is feeling increasingly upside-down, the question on everyone’s mind seems to be: WHO is going to fix this?
The honest answer? Us.

The last 114 days feels like an eternity to those of us who feel Donald Trump’s policies are wreaking havoc on our economy, our lives, our standing in the world, our alliances, and yes, our psyche.

After the 2024 election returned Donald Trump to the presidency and gave Republicans control of both chambers of Congress, we entered a new chapter of hardline governance—one marked by escalating culture wars, tightened federal controls, and policies that increasingly reflect minority ideologies over majority will. Now, more than ever, Americans face a pivotal truth: no one is coming to save us. If we want real change, we must build it—with our voices, our votes, and our vision for something better.

What’s Happening Now

The Trump administration’s second term has brought aggressive shifts in both domestic and foreign policy:

• Immigration crackdowns and deportations have proceeded with flagrant cruelty and no due process

• Tariffs and trade wars are destabilizing global markets and contributing to higher prices at home.

• The Department of Justice, once seen as independent, now faces accusations of political weaponization.

And beneath all that noise, millions of everyday Americans are experiencing cost of living increases, stagnant wages, and a volatile job market.

Immigration Deportations

Federal agents from ICE and Homeland Security are trampling on due process as they implement the administration’s deportation orders. On May 9th, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller issued a veiled threat to the judiciary in a tone dripping with smugness and entitlement. Miller stated that the President would suspend habeas corpus “depending on what the courts do”, he said. While it is true that habeas corpus has previously been suspended three times, Congress alone, not the President, has the power to suspend habeas corpus and then only under very specific circumstances.

Here are a few highlights of what the administration has been doing for the past 114 days:

· ICE and Homeland Security agents have been “disappearing” people and sending them to ICE detention centers in various states

· Many immigration lawyers across various parts of the country have received letters demanding they leave the United States immediately. They are US citizens.

· Homeland Security (HIS) agents and agents from other federal law enforcement literally BROKE IN to a woman’s home in Nebraska and forced her and her daughters out into the rain in their underwear. They took cash and electronic items from her home even after realizing she was not the target of the warrant

· ICE tried to prevent congressional reps from conducting oversight on an ICE detention center in Newark and arrested Mayor Ras Baraka because he asserted that the operation of the facility in his city was not legal. The agents requested he leave the property. He complied. The top brass from the area ICE office were all on scene but arrested him only after speaking with “someone” on the phone. The Mayor was on city property at the time.

I mean, are we through the looking glass here? Will we wake up in time to save the Republic and continue this grand experiment of rule by the People? Or will we continue to devolve into a country run by a cruel, petty, and unqualified ruling class that attacks dissent and obliterates the rule of law?

Tariffs

The strikingly unpopular policy position is exacerbated by the President’s “let them eat cake” attitude as he sits in a gilded and gaudily re-appointed (at taxpayer expense) White House telling the American people they should tighten their belts and proposing parents get their little girls “two dolls instead of thirty dolls”. The devastating effects of the trade war Donald Trump started for absolutely no reason have not yet been felt by the American people. Like most economic outcomes, there is a lag between an action and its effect. The damage to our economy and our standing in the world will become clearer in the months to come.

Meanwhile, it’s reported that Donald Trump is going to accept a $400 million gift from the country of Qatar. A luxury jet. Today, Trump took to Truth Social to decry the outrage over his accepting the gift, defend himself and lie stating “the Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years,” he wrote. He claims it will save money and that it is necessary because of the delays from Boeing. Really?

First, it’s only being “given” to the defense department now because of the bipartisan backlash concerning the emoluments clause and risk to national security. Secondly, have we really defended Qatar for years? In 2017, Trump name-checked them for funding organizations such as al-Qaida, Hezbollah, and others. But now, after all the monetary investment into the Trump Organization and ventures by Trump-adjacent businessmen (Elon Musk), Qatar is A-Okay in Trump’s book.

While it is true that he has temporarily lowered tariffs on goods from China, the entire debacle has left us worse off as a country and the laughingstock of the world. China was never “calling’ or “in talks” as was alleged. China was busy developing partnerships and sourcing goods from other markets while simultaneously roasting the U.S. on social media.

Weaponization of Government

He promised it. He said it repeatedly on the campaign trail. “I am your retribution”, he said in 2023. Now, in his first 100 days, he is carrying out his promise. Perceived political enemies, news media, current and former federal and state government officials, universities, law firms, and student protesters have been targeted. The administration has launched investigations, frozen grant funds, revoked security clearances for certain law firms’ attorneys, fired employees, and banned companies from receiving federal contracts.

Why 2026 Is Our Tipping Point

The 2026 midterm elections will determine whether we continue down this path—or reroute it entirely.

If Democrats take back two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate, it will drastically alter the political landscape. They’ll have the power to:

• Push through federal protections on voting rights, abortion access, and civil liberties

• Strengthen gun control legislation and public safety initiatives

• Advance environmental justice and infrastructure reform

• Counterbalance executive overreach through congressional oversight

• Fund education, healthcare, and small business programs that have been sidelined

In short: reclaiming Congress in the right proportions means reclaiming a say in what this country becomes.

We Can’t Vote Our Way to Utopia, But Not Voting Will Break Everything

Let’s be clear—voting alone doesn’t fix everything. But without it, we are complicit in standing still. And stillness is not neutral; it’s regression. The idea that voting doesn’t matter is often fed to us by those who want nothing more than for us to give up. Not voting will allow the destruction to continue.

Your vote, especially in a midterm election when turnout is typically low, has exponential power.

Action Beats Apathy

If you’re overwhelmed, good. That means you care. But caring must turn into doing:

• Research your congressional candidates. What’s their track record? Who funds them? Where do they stand on the issues that matter most to you?

• Support voter education and registration efforts. Especially in marginalized communities.

• Challenge misinformation. Your voice in your circles matters.

• Volunteer. Donate. Talk about it. Politics is personal. Make it visible.

This Is Bigger Than Trump

This isn’t about one man. It’s about the apparatus that is insulating him and obediently carrying out his wishes—and we have the power to change that apparatus. It’s about whether the next generation inherits a democracy... or a brand.

The 2026 midterms aren’t just another blip in the cycle. They are the battleground for America’s moral compass.

And the truth is simple:
No one is coming to save us. So, we must save ourselves.

Written by Stephanie R Williams for The Curated Mind
A newsletter for people who think in full color.