By David Sole, October 30, 2026, https://fighting-words.net/
The elections to be held November 3 fall halfway through the second, non-consecutive term of President Donald Trump. All seats in the House of Representatives (2-year terms) and one-third of the Senate seats (6-year terms) are being voted on.
For the past two years both houses of the Legislative branch of the U.S. government have been under the control of the Republican Party totally committed to the totally reactionary program of Trump and his MAGA faction. It is widely expected that control of the House will shift to a Democratic Party majority and control of the Senate may also fall to the Dems.
Opposition to the Trump program has mobilized across the United States in an effort to elect Democrats and set back the Republicans. This is entirely understandable, but a few voices are asking: “What if Trump and his minions refuse to accept an electoral defeat?”
This is not an idle question. Leading up to the 2020 presidential election Trump made no secret that he would not accept defeat at the polls. He was so threatening that many unions announced they would go on a general strike if Trump tried to overturn the vote. Some organizations issued appeals to military personnel to be prepared to disobey illegal orders from their Commander in Chief.
Despite these warnings there was no organized response to the January 6, 2021, insurrection launched by Trump that stormed the Capitol.
Today the danger is greater. What happens if, once again, Trump refuses to accept the outcome?
Most alarming is the purging of African American and women U.S. Army officers by Trump’s Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, an open white supremacist. On August 31, 2026, the Secretary of the Army resigned due to conflict with Hegseth. This could be Trump preparing to put troops into the streets to overturn the elections and to crush protesters.
This would be an extension of Trump sending troops into a number of cities as well as his taking control of state National Guard units to patrol cities. Trigger happy ICE goons are already terrorizing many cities, suburbs and towns.
Trump calls protesters “terrorists” opening the door to invoking the “Insurrection Act,” declare martial law and nullify elections. FBI Director Patel recently admitted he was mobilizing FBI agents to occupy polling places across the country.
A Trump coup could take the form of a hundred local actions. Already the Department of Justice has gone to court to try to keep a Democrat from winning the Alaska governor’s race. Many other state election officials are being threatened. This could be expanded nationwide to virtually nullify the election results. In September 2025 House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to swear in newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva of Arizona. There is talk of refusing to seat any members of the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) should they be elected, as is expected.
Or a Trump coup could be staged in one dramatic event using military forces to terrorize the population. Who in the military will stand up to him? For this scenario to succeed a false flag operation could easily be staged to “justify” using the Insurrection Act. This is precisely how Hitler seized power after arranging the infamous Reichstag Fire in February 1933.
In Detroit an Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Ballots and Defend Democracy has formed with the aim of mobilizing people on Election Day and beyond. It has called for a mass rally outside Huntington Place Convention Center, where in 2020 a fascist gang of Trump election deniers pounded on the windows where ballots were being counted. The rally is set for 5 PM on Tuesday, November 3.
While Trump’s popular support is rapidly dropping with inflation, racism and the unpopular war against Iran, his support among the ruling billionaire class is strong. After all the ruling rich have raked in trillions of dollars in profits through military spending, inflated oil prices, deregulation and the ending of efforts to face climate change. The capitalist elite are firmly in his camp.
Even if Trump ultimately gives up his dictatorial power, having Democrats controlling Congress will not solve the ills of poverty, racism and war that plague the vast majority of people in the U.S. Most of the Democratic Party officials are firmly tied to the same capitalist system of profits before people. Only a mass, revolutionary movement can stop Trump’s plans to hold onto power and finally put an end to the exploitation of people around the world.
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