Trump's 2026 Midterm Power Grab: Map Redraws, Voter ID & Mail-In Voting Ban

President Trump has unleashed an unprecedented, multi-pronged effort to shape next year's midterm elections—pressuring states to redraw districts, pushing for nationwide voter ID and mail-in voting bans, ordering Justice Department probes of Democratic fundraising platforms, and even deploying the National Guard in blue cities. His actions, critics warn, amount to a direct bid to rig the 2026 House and Senate contests.

**A Chinese graduate hopeful was barred entry despite a valid visa and scholarship—**subjected to 36 hours of interrogation at Houston's airport, then sent home and banned for five years. Meanwhile, heightened visa scrutiny and new DHS vetting rules have spurred a sharp drop in international enrollments, threatening the finances—and diversity—of U.S. colleges.

The Trump administration has pulled the plug on $679 million in federal funding for 12 U.S. ports designed to serve the emerging offshore wind industry. Among the hardest hit is Humboldt Bay, Calif., which stood to receive $426 million to build a heavy-lift terminal and deepwater wharf. The move marks the latest escalation in President Trump's campaign against wind power, even as states race toward zero-carbon electricity targets.

Labor Day will see a coast-to-coast wave of anti-Trump demonstrations under the "Workers over Billionaires" banner. Organizers from May Day Strong have slated more than 900 protests in every state and D.C., while in Ohio the 50501 coalition will stage almost 30 events, including a 4–6 p.m. rally at Columbus's McFerson Park. What's driving this surge— and how does it fit into a year of mounting nationwide dissent?