Trump Plans Unprecedented Midterm Succession Scheme, Targets 2026 Elections

President Donald Trump is actively preparing for the 2026 midterm elections by proposing an unprecedented early Republican National Convention prior to the midterms, signaling a strategic move to influence party succession and maintain Republican control. Despite being constitutionally barred from a third presidential term, Trump is leveraging his position to aggressively shape the midterm landscape through controversial measures such as redrawing district maps, purging voter rolls, and challenging mail-in voting and voting machines, with an emphasis on law and order as a central campaign theme. Concurrently, his administration is undertaking a significant federal government restructuring under the banner of Project 2025, marked by mass layoffs of federal workers and policy shifts aimed at dismantling diversity and equity initiatives, reflecting a broader authoritarian blueprint. This political environment is further complicated by intensified efforts to suppress voting rights through legal and judicial means, including the Supreme Court's regressive rulings that have weakened protections against racial discrimination in voting, contributing to fears about the potential institutionalization of one-party rule. Trump's multifaceted approach combines executive actions, judicial strategies, and political rhetoric to consolidate power ahead of the midterms, raising concerns about the erosion of liberal democratic norms in the United States.