By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – May 15, 2026

The midterm election is 172 days away. That is 172 years in political time, when any day can alter the election’s trajectory, triggering seismic shifts.

Given the previous volatility, my August 2025 Hill op-ed titled “7 reasons the 2026 midterms will be the most dramatic ever” needs updating, starting with adding “dangerous” to the headline.

The first reason on last summer’s list remains the overarching one: President Trump “fears that Republicans will lose control of Congress.” He knows the severe consequences his administration and the Republican Party face if they lose the House and possibly the Senate. Then the legislature can reassert itself as a coequal branch of government rather than serve as Trump’s yes-men.

Meanwhile, Trump is fighting history. Since 1938, only twice has the president’s party gained House seats: in 1998, President Bill Clinton’s Democrats gained five seats, and in 2002, President George W. Bush’s Republicans gained eight seats.

In the 2018 midterm, Trump presided over a Democratic net gain of 40 House seats. Notably, on May 16, 2018, his job approval averaged 43 percent; today his average is 40 percent, with dips to 38.5 percent. Then consider this startling majority opinion: in a recent poll, The Hill reported, 59 percent “indicated Trump does not have the mental sharpness it takes to lead the country.”

The second reason for midterm drama and danger is gerrymandering, the practice of redistricting. Although gerrymandering dates to 1812, it has spun out of control, resulting in an “uncivil war” initially fueled by Trump’s extreme fear of losing congressional control and recently accelerated by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. This anti-democratic practice, in which politicians pick their constituents, is a scourge that weakens our nation, undermining the integrity of the electoral process through rigged representation by design.

Such partisan design yields congressional “safe seats,” which, in theory, should not exist in a democracy. Thus, safe seats are the root cause of uncompromising polarization among House members. An April YouGov poll found that 71 percent of Americans say “states should not be allowed to draw congressional districts in a way that intentionally favors one party.”

In my August 2025 piece, citing redistricting, I noted a “possible revolt” if Republicans kept control of the House. Nine months later, with widespread extreme redistricting favoring Republicans, such a revolt is even more likely.

Third, America is on the cusp of its first “authoritarian” election. In his May 10 Truth Social post, Trump wrote about employing an “Election Integrity Army in every single State to preserve the sanctity of each legal vote.” Citing this “Army” as the reason he won in 2024, Trump continued, “We will be doing the same again in 2026, but it will be much bigger and stronger.”

On Tuesday, ironically, as the president was departing for Communist China, Trump was asked if “he would send National Guard or ICE officers to voting locations,” and replied, “I do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also appears supportive of employing ICE. And recall what former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said about the midterms: “We’ve been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting.” Therefore, Americans must be concerned about voter safety and potential authoritarian-style activity on Election Day.

Fourth, early signs point to 2026 being among the highest voter turnout in midterm history. Therefore, count on intimidation in Democratic areas as discussed above.

The fifth reason for midterm drama and danger is the dour mood among American consumers, in which worries about affordability are a staple of daily life. Trump’s sinking job approval is mirrored in gas prices, grocery receipts, health insurance premiums, and soaring utility bills. Yet he appears extremely cavalier, seemingly incapable of feeling the people’s pain.

Sixth, with artificial intelligence creating fake, damaging campaign ads and targeted miscommunications, voters must discern what is real, because fakes could determine the outcome of close elections.

Seventh, voters feel powerless. Few trust the government to improve their economic circumstances or curb inflation, as Trump promised to do in 2024. Moreover, Americans are paying billions for an unpopular war in Iran, which, in March, the president called an “excursion” to be over “very soon.” Furthermore, Trump is obsessed with getting even, engaging billionaires, enriching his family, and building a gilded ballroom, all while renaming and remaking Washington as if it were Mar-a-Lago.

In summary, Trump’s name will appear at the top of every midterm ballot, if only virtually. If Republicans lose control of Congress, he might claim the election was rigged. And, since Trump equates losing with weakness, he could respond aggressively, possibly activating federal forces. Alternatively, if Republicans retain control of Congress, vast numbers will claim the election was won through gerrymandering or voter intimidation and might take to the streets.

Buckle up for the most dramatic and dangerous midterm election in U.S. history.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – May 1, 2026

Unexpected violence marked last Saturday night’s truncated White House Correspondents’ Association dinner when a lone gunman made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Trump and other high-ranking administration officials.

That violence contrasts with the presidentially approved violence scheduled for June 14, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship will host “UFC Freedom 250” on the White House South Lawn. It features seven fights beginning at 8 p.m. For readers unfamiliar with the UFC, two fighters engage in hand-to-hand combat using mixed martial arts, often resulting in bloody injuries, concussions and knockouts.

Given Trump’s “fight, fight, fight” persona, he is linking Flag Day, which also happens to be his 80th birthday, with this brutal entertainment. Altogether, Trump will celebrate his longtime fandom for professional fighting, bask in the media spotlight, and make history by holding the first professional sports event on White House grounds. To accommodate the event, a 4,500-seat temporary arena will be constructed.  

Expect millions of Americans to be outraged that the White House is hosting professional violence on the anniversary of the U.S. flag’s adoption in 1777, a day normally marked by flag-flying displays of patriotism and national unity. Perhaps those who control a flagpole and want to protest these White House Flag Day 250 fights should consider flying the flag at half-staff to mourn the passing of American dignity and decency.

For numerous reasons, this UFC event is visually inappropriate and ill-timed. First, historically, the White House grounds have been associated with peaceful endeavors, such as cultural, educational and humanitarian events, especially during special occasions. These activities foster national wellbeing and inspire patriotism among young Americans. For Trump to proudly host bloody fights on the White House lawn is contrary to his role and to the example he should set of upholding American ideals.

Second, this violent 250 Flag Day spectacle only hardens political polarization. Seven bloody bouts, sponsored by Trump’s wealthy buddy Dana White, president and CEO of UFC, help explain why a recent Fox News poll found that 60 percent of registered voters do not believe Trump has the temperament to be president. His fighting personality reinforces that sentiment.

Third, by staging these boisterous fights, the commander-in-chief signals to the world that the USA has become an aggressor nation in its 250th year. The U.S. military has assembled its largest fighting force since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, awaiting potential orders to invade Iran. Experts estimate that there are more than 50,000 troops, three aircraft carriers, and billions of dollars’ worth of military assets, costing $2 billion per day to maintain.

Fourth, the “UFC Freedom 250” event is estimated to cost $60 million. Supposedly, no taxpayer funds will be used. Does anyone believe that?

Fifth, the White House arena fight harkens back to the gladiators of ancient Rome. According to History.com, “The spectacles proved hugely popular, and by the end of the 1st century B.C., government officials began hosting state-funded games as a way of currying favor with the masses.” That was true then, and maybe now. Today, nationwide UFC events are popular among young men, who, as a group, leaned toward Trump in 2024. Is the president again appealing to those men, hoping to galvanize turnout for the midterm election? 

In fact, last month at the White House, the president bragged, “I’ve been involved in a lot of big events; I have never had an event that has had more interest than the UFC fight we have right at the front door.” Besides mentioning the 4,500-seat temporary arena, Trump said, “And then in the back at the Ellipse, we’re going to have 100,000, maybe [50,000] to 100,000 people, I guess,” he continued. “They’re building tremendous stages, and we’re going to have massive screens of the fight. It’s a very popular sport.”

Sixth, as the June 14 date approaches, with the arena built and press coverage growing, Americans will be more aware of this unorthodox event. A wild card for Trump is the status of the war in Iran. If our military is actively engaged in combat operations, this UFC event will occur at the worst possible moment, when real, not staged, fights are underway, and casualties are inevitable. In that scenario, might the optics be so distasteful that Trump will be pressured to cancel his UFC Flag Day birthday fight?

Stay Tuned. This violent event is a “developing story” with many politically polarizing layers and a magnet for outrage.

Myra Adams served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – April 17, 2026

“I am not a crook” is one of President Richard Nixon’s most enduring phrases from the Watergate scandal, a declaration made at a November 1973 press conference. Nine months later, on Aug. 8, 1974, Nixon would announce his resignation rather than face certain impeachment and conviction.

After Watergate, a host of bipartisan laws was enacted to prevent or counteract the wide-ranging abuses of executive power committed by Nixon and his henchmen. Across seven presidential administrations, those legislative guardrails largely held until the reign of President Trump.

In 2022, after Trump’s first term, Harvard Law Professor Jack Goldsmith wrote an assessment titled “Watergate era reforms 50 years later.” The sub-headline read, “Laws and norms established after President Nixon’s resignation ‘had a great run,’ but the Trump presidency proves new reforms are needed.”

Goldsmith concluded that “ultimately, the efficacy of checks on the presidency depends on the identity of the man or woman whom the American people choose to elect, and the types of pressure that the public places on members of Congress and other government actors to resist executive branch abuse.”

Four years into Trump’s unforeseen second term, his administration has figuratively bulldozed post-Watergate laws and norms while physically bulldozing the White House East Wing.

Ironically, as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we should collectively acknowledge the dangerous shift in modern presidential behavior from the “I am not a crook” president, forced from office, to the incumbent president’s “I am not a dictator,” denial of authoritarian leanings, and “sometimes you need a dictator.” Then, sometimes, you need to crown yourself king and portray yourself as Jesus.

Trump’s all-powerful image projection signals that his I-am-above-the-law presidential overreach has reached critical mass. Daily headlines document power grabs, high-stakes international aggression, extreme weaponization of federal power, especially the judicial branch, and blatant, ongoing personal and family enrichment, earning billions.

Therefore, post-Trump, no matter which party controls Capitol Hill or the White House, numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation must be enacted to protect constitutional integrity, prevent executive-branch abuses, and serve the national good. Let the post-Watergate era guide our leaders in keeping power-hungry future presidents in check. What follows is a list of suggested reforms.

First: The incumbent president should be prohibited from owning a public company. There are inherent conflicts of interest, ample profit-generating opportunities, potential for dirty dealing through access to power, and investor risk due to political volatility.

Second: The incumbent president should be prohibited from owning a public or privately owned communication platform that channels official presidential messages.

Trump is the majority stockholder (52 percent) of Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social (stock symbol DJT). On Dec. 19, 2024, then-president-elect Trump transferred all his shares (nearly 115 million) into a trust controlled by his son, Donald Trump Jr. But the president remains “the settlor and sole beneficiary of the Trust.”

The president and family have long tentacles, reaching into powerful and lucrative economic sectors. Included are offers of financial investments, merging with a company to build nuclear fusion energy plants, and a streaming “patriotic” news and entertainment network that can influence voters. See the company’s 2025 annual report.

Third: We must prohibit the president and his family members from owning stakes in companies engaged in cryptocurrency that could benefit from presidential policies. We should also outlaw presidential family involvement with prediction market companies due to direct access to inside information.

Fourth: The president, his closest family members and their spouses should be forbidden from engaging in foreign real estate transactions or any foreign investment valued over an amount set by Congress, on behalf of a company in which they own or are employed. (See Trump Inc. and Jared Kushner.) The law must also include military weapons companies. (See Don Jr.)

Fifth: We need a law requiring presidents and vice presidents to publicly release their tax returns every April 15. Currently, disclosure is voluntary. It should be mandatory.

Sixth: We should restrict the president’s pardon power, keeping in mind both the Jan. 6 pardons and the last-minute Biden family pardons.

Seventh, we should enact legislation limiting executive orders. Congress should consider nullifying all executive orders unless passed by the House and Senate within a set time period.

Eighth, we need a law establishing a bipartisan watchdog organization to review what appears to be politically motivated weaponization of any agency or Cabinet department that unleashes the power of the federal government, charging or threatening to charge any federal official who worked with, or in, a previous or current administration.

Ninth, Congress must outlaw licensing fees or any profit earned from the sale of merchandise that the president actively promotes, which degrades the office.

Given this list, Congress should be very busy in the post-Trump era, doing what is right for America’s future and restoring honor to the office of the president.

Myra Adams served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

Tags congress Donald Trump Jr. Donald Trump Jr. Jack Goldsmith Jack Goldsmith Jared Kushner Joe Biden Myra Adams President Donald J. Trump President Richard Nixon Richard Nixon

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – April 3, 2026

Given President Trump’s confrontational nature and disdain for his constitutional duty to transfer power, he will be the most vocal, intrusive lame-duck president in history when the White House race kicks into high gear following the November midterms. Observers can score the contest to form the first post-Trump presidential nomination through that lens.

When the 2028 Republican National Convention takes place, 16 years will have passed since the party nominated someone other than Trump. In this new era, the measure for Republican candidates is whether they support or oppose Trump. Therefore, the president’s name and associated chaos engulf the virtual scorecards.

In every presidential election, unpredictable and surprising events tend to influence the outcome, as most recently seen when then-81-year-old President Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection bid in July 2024. Interestingly, Trump turns 82 in June 2028.

The natural frontrunner, Vice President JD Vance, leads the RealClearPolitics polling average with 45 percent among Republican primary voters. Since he will enjoy the advantages of incumbency, primary challengers could face negative consequences and bad blood.

Compare that to May 2023, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis entered the Republican primary race with 25 percent support against Trump’s 56 percent. To project untouchable strength by early 2027, Vance would do well to boost his primary base support by at least 10 points. But there are still troubling signs within Trump’s base.

For example, last weekend at CPAC, Vance won the non-scientific presidential straw poll with 53 percent support — only 8 points higher than his polling average. But considering the ultra-MAGA nature of the audience, Vance really should have done better. 

When assessing Vance’s chances of winning the nomination, a key factor is whether Trump will have endorsed his vice president by this time next year. Such an early thumb on the scale could prevent any serious primary competition, saving donors and the party tens of millions of dollars by avoiding contested primaries in multiple states.

Alternatively, if Trump adopts the “see what happens” or “let the voters decide” approach, it will indicate that Vance is on his own — cue the chaos.

If Republicans lose significant power in this year’s midterm elections, the fallout from Iran is still rippling through the economy, and Trump’s job approval stagnates in the 30s or low 40s, Vance might shift into political self-preservation mode and distance himself from his boss. He can then promote his former no-foreign-wars, isolationist stance, criticize Trump’s policies, and sing a “what I will do differently” song on the campaign trail.

Furthermore, this week, Trump’s mental state was assessed by his former White House attorney as “gone.” Do reckless remarks — like Wednesday’s bombing Iran “back to the Stone Ages” and Sunday’s “my favorite thing is to take Iran’s oil” — threaten national security?

Could an increasingly unhinged president drive Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment, in which case the president’s Cabinet would vote whether to remove Trump from office without impeachment? If successful, Vance, the incumbent 48th president, would run untethered from Trump, exploding the chaos scorecard.

That may sound crazy, but remember: At the beginning of June 2024, no one foresaw Kamala Harris becoming the Democrats’ nominee by mid-July.

Speaking of power moves, veteran journalist Tina Brown wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “eyeing the exit after the midterms to make some real money before he runs for president.” Cha-ching! Rubio’s goal was always to be the first Cuban-Hispanic president.

Technically, Rubio won’t be running against Trump. His 2016 effort against Trump is remembered as a dismal failure in which his anti-Trump comments failed to land — especially about Trump’s supposedly “small hands.” However, if Rubio challenges Trump’s record, as is likely, expect calls of  “traitor” and more chaos.

If Brown’s rumor is true, during Rubio’s remaining time at the State Department and his other job as national security adviser, he could oversee both a quagmire in Iran and the Cuban regime’s collapse. Although Cuba has geopolitical importance, it doesn’t affect national affordability as much as Iran, due to higher domestic and global energy prices.

Rubio now trails Vance with just 13 percent in RealClear’s 2028 primary poll average, and CPAC’s straw poll showed him at 35 percent. Although Rubio has made some inroads with MAGA, its voting strength could be diminished if Trump has floundered.

Freed from Trump, Rubio might harm his chances of being Vance’s vice president. Still, as mentioned earlier, Vance might also bust loose. So, could Vance and Rubio team up for an anti-Trump ticket?

Lastly, additional chaos would result from a severe presidential health crisis — or “the worst,” which must be considered in the 2028 election cycle with Trump over age 80. The stress of the presidency — to say nothing of war, possible midterm losses, investigations, the Epstein files and another potential impeachment — is surely taking its toll.

Today, Trump’s two main successors are quietly running. Chaos will influence who wins the nomination. However, a few not-so-chaotic but very qualified sideline candidates are worth watching as well.

Myra Adams is a political and religious opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Feb. 20, 2026

When the Trump administration was two weeks shy of its first chaotic 100 days, my “worst-fears” antenna zeroed in on four powerful women I called “MAGA Mean Girls,” the president’s “loyal foot soldiers in designer heels.” Unfortunately, what I cautioned about ten months ago has just kept getting worse.

Now, these four ladies are inflicting long-term, generational damage, mirroring their boss’s worst personality traits, defending indefensible actions and twisting reality to please him and maintain their powerful positions.

Two of the four are Senate-confirmed Cabinet officials — Attorney General Pam Bondi, age 60, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, age 54. Given their high-profile jobs, they are role models, so their unorthodox conduct is especially consequential and despicable.

The third Mean Girl, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, has an uncanny ability to rationalize President Trump’s actions and policies while belittling the media. And rounding out the squad is Laura Loomer, age 32. Taxes do not pay her salary, but she is a one-woman MAGA loyalty police force, wielding a head-chopping axe.

With 1,065 days remaining in Trump’s term, these four are assisting his expansion of federal power with little regard for norms or constitutional restraints.

During his first term, Trump complained bitterly of the traditional modicum of independence shown by his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions. “I don’t have an attorney general,” he said. But he sure does now.

Bondi presides over a Justice Department operating as “Trump, Bondi and Associates,” having torn down the wall of independence traditionally separating the Justice Department from the White House since the Watergate scandal. The separation was intended to prevent the very sort of obeisance to the president and targeting of his enemies in which Bondi’s Justice Department is currently engaged.

Trump’s cozy relationship with his attorney general was publicly corroborated in October when the president accidentally sent Bondi what was meant to be a personal message urging her to prosecute his political enemies. Of course, she did, but a court’s ruling undermined her actions.

Historically, Bondi’s tenure at the Department of Justice will be linked to her botched handling and alleged cover-up of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Her recent turbulent congressional testimony is already enshrined as a low bar in Justice Department history, and the story continues.

Additionally, she is overseeing the prosecution of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) when in a video he recited long-established military law. So far, the department has lost in court, and Kelly is teasing a presidential run.

Bondi is also entwined in the FBI’s questionable seizure of voter ballots in Fulton County, Ga., to placate her boss’s insistence that he had won the state in the 2020 presidential election.

Stay tuned. The midterms are coming, and Bondi knows that if Republicans lose control of either congressional chamber, there will be hell to pay.

Meanwhile, are Bondi and Secretary Noem competing to generate the most controversial headlines and cringeworthy videos for their presidential audience of one? In a normal administration, they would be fired. But Trump keeps them for two reasons — they are doing his bidding, and firing them would be surrendering to the media and his political enemies.

Noem leads a department spending $38.3 billion building detention centers to process and detain immigrants, so watch for that Democratic campaign ad in the midterm elections. Speaking of which, since large-scale detention centers are associated with authoritarian regimes, Noem’s recent remarks have perpetuated that comparison. While discussing DHS’s midterm preparations, she said, “when it gets to Election Day … we’ve been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders.”

Noem’s department has a serious mission to protect the homeland, but it is careening out of control. After Renee Good was killed in Minneapolis, Noem defamed her memory while wearing an oversized cowboy hat, one of many working costumes that reinforce her “ICE Barbie” nickname.

Noem may never live down her infamous video from El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, where she posed before prisoners in a skin-tight top, form-fitting jeans, dazzling hair and a $50,000 Rolex.

The youthful Leavitt’s Mean Girl attitude is intended to intimidate anyone who dares contradict her version of the truth. Most concerning is the institutional damage she has inflicted upon the White House press corps, elevating right-leaning news media while denigrating traditional media outlets. But what goes around will come around when Democrats eventually win the White House and control the press room. Her title should be White House director of propaganda rather than press secretary.

Laura Loomer’s job, so to speak, is to unearth disloyalty and report to Trump, her good friend. Those she targets are MAGA-marginalized or fired without recourse, regardless of rank or service to the nation. With her “protect Trump at all costs” attitude, Loomer is a powerful force who regularly makes headlines. No one wants to be “loomered.”

I speculate that someday at least two of these women will write tell-all books and ask, “What was I thinking? How did I become a national joke? Why did I act so mean and heartless?”

But that reckoning must wait. Team Trump is gearing up for the midterms, and its Mean Girls will be on a rampage.

Tags Jeff Sessions Jeffrey Epstein Karoline Leavitt Karoline Leavitt Kristi Noem Kristi Noem laura loomer Laura Loomer Mark Kelly Pam Bondi Pam Bondi President Trump

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Feb. 6, 2026

A political bombshell hit Florida Jan. 27. The fallout will continue at least until the midterm election and possibly beyond, depending on the outcome. It has transformed what was a boring, predictable U.S. Senate race into a high-stakes plotline worthy of an enthralling Netflix series.

Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s recently announced Senate campaign marks his first run for elected office. Vindman’s candidacy has mostly cleared the Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), the former state attorney general and governor-appointed incumbent, whom President Trump endorsed in July 2025.

Since Trump is the sun that fuels and inflames the entire political universe, expect him to launch proverbial heat-seeking missiles at Vindman on behalf of Moody. That’s because, seven years ago, Vindman committed the unpardonable sin of disloyalty.

Lest you forget, in February 2020, Trump fired Vindman from the National Security Council and had him ceremoniously escorted out of the White House. Vindman, a Kyiv-born Ukrainian American citizen, was “doing his job” on July 25, 2019, listening in to what Trump later described as a “perfect phone call” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman believed Trump’s conversation was “inappropriate” and reported it to White House lawyers.

Ultimately, Vindman’s convictions and his decision would end his distinguished military career. During Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, Vindman, wearing his highly decorated Army uniform, testified before Congress as a “whistleblower” against Trump. In his Senate campaign against Moody, a Trump acolyte who has been largely invisible in the Senate, expect Vindman to play an adversarial role.

Statewide, Moody has an impressive electoral record. She was Florida’s attorney general and midway through her second term when, in January 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to the newly vacant seat left by Marco Rubio’s confirmation as secretary of State. Now, Moody must be elected in November to serve the remaining two years of Rubio’s term.

Although Moody has hardly made a ripple in Washington, her campaign had over $5 million on hand at the end of 2025, for a race widely considered perfunctory until Vindman’s Jan. 27 announcement injected some Trump-bashing drama. 

“Nothing like a ‘martyred’ Lt. Colonel and former national security officer who triggered Trump’s first impeachment to get Democratic juices salivating and wallets opening,” said Mark McKinnon, a veteran Republican political strategist and creator of the campaign series “The Circus.”

Proving McKinnon’s point, within the first 24 hours of Vindman’s campaign announcement, he had raised $1.7 million, setting a new one-day record in the state and generating millions of dollars in free local and national media coverage.

Vindman is new to Florida and virtually unknown. What’s more, the state has elected only one Democrat statewide since 2013. However, his impressive personal story could be described as an immigrant’s American dream for people living under repressive regimes.

The Harvard-educated Vindman, who earned a Purple Heart in Iraq, rose to the highest levels of staff authority within the Pentagon. He served as director of European Affairs at the National Security Council. That position put him in Trump’s crosshairs, eventually thrusting him into national and global headlines and the consequences of speaking the truth.

Vindman is also a new kind of Democrat — the opposite of “woke” — proving his devotion to his adopted country through blood and service. In his campaign announcement, Vindman shared memorable reflections on what he endured as Trump’s enemy: “See, my family came to America as refugees to escape tyranny, and I sure as hell was not going to bow down to some wannabe tyrant.”

Vindman’s campaign branding is “The Patriot vs. the Politician.” His timing reflects the moment when luck meets preparation and opportunity. Trump’s job approval is sinking amid the affordability crisis, horrific immigration images, and signs of authoritarian-like power-grabbing across all sectors. Even Trump, the eternal optimist, is lowering expectations about how Republicans could fare in November’s midterms.

Yes, Florida is a ruby-red state, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 1.5 million votes. But keep an eye out on those 3.3 million non-affiliated voters, who might be drawn to Vindman’s fearless anti-Trump leadership. He could galvanize Floridians who are nervous about Trump nationalizing elections, enriching himself, trampling the Constitution, and unleashing the power of government against U.S. citizens, because Vindman can speak to that nightmare.

Given that Moody is Trump’s “yes woman,” Vindman could turn this Senate race into a marquee battle worthy of the nation’s third-largest state, which faces serious problems, including an insurance crisis. Moreover, he will expertly address foreign policy and warn that Trump’s impulsiveness and megalomania threaten our allies and national security.

Vindman’s story represents what made this nation great, especially poignant during our 250th anniversary, when freedom of speech and truth-telling, contrary to the Trump administration’s stance, are slipping away.

During Trump’s November 2019 congressional impeachment hearing, Vindman’s chilling testimony remains applicable to today’s White House environment. A notable excerpt is from Vindman’s opening statement, reflecting his belief (and ours) in American ideals. He addressed his late father, saying: “Dad, my sitting here today, in the U.S. Capitol, talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union … Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.” 

Yet Vindman and his family suffered for that truth-telling. His twin brother, Eugene, who also worked for the National Security Council in the White House, was fired on the same day in February 2020. Then, in 2024, Eugene Vindman was elected to Congress representing Virginia’s 7th District.

Now, one wonders what action Trump will take to prevent Alexander Vindman from winning this coveted Senate seat, especially if the race appears close. All the traditional metrics point to Vindman’s defeat, but these are not normal times. If Vindman is victorious, it would be a humiliating defeat for Team Trump in Florida and nationally.

The question is whether enough Florida Republicans will take off their MAGA hats and listen to Vindman’s message of freedom and truth, delivered by someone who recognizes their value.

Myra Adams is a political and religious opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Jan. 23, 2026

In the Trump era, every day brings a theater-of-the-absurd mini-drama. Monday’s headline, “Trump links Greenland threats to missing out on Nobel Prize,” looked like an AI spoof, but it wasn’t.

President Trump’s foreign policy is based on whether the actions of allies or enemies are personally pleasing or displeasing to him. And he acts like a conquering king but then backs down. Meanwhile, there is widespread agreement that undoing or weakening the 80-year post-World War II NATO alliance would be a gift to Russia.

What a week of absurdity it was! On Tuesday, Trump posted an AI-generated map on Truth Social, set in the Oval Office and surrounded by European leaders. The map showed the U.S., Canada, Greenland and Venezuela covered in America’s stars and stripes, as if they were one nation. Trump is visually flaunting his desire to expand U.S. territory, with a “dare to stop me” attitude.

Call it “diplomacy for narcissists.” Federal Republican officeholders and candidates on the November ballot must either support or disavow this new American aggression, which also applies domestically. For a vast swath of Americans, the November midterms and the 2028 presidential election can’t come soon enough.

Now, entering from stage right is Virginia’s newly minted former governor, Glenn Youngkin. You may not know his name, but expect to hear and see more of him.

Before Youngkin won his first public office in November 2021 by less than 2 points, he had served as co-chair of the Carlyle Group, a prestigious investment firm. During the campaign, Youngkin was known for deliberately keeping his distance from then-former President Trump. Nonetheless, the ever-humble Trump took credit for Youngkin’s win.

Over the ensuing four years, Youngkin was a popular governor with steady job approval around 54 percent. But since Virginia governors are limited to one four-year term, at last Saturday’s inauguration, he became an unemployed multimillionaire. (More on that later.)

Youngkin is a moderate in an increasingly far-right party. He is not considered MAGA-crazy and is respected in elite leadership and monied circles. The former governor is well-spoken and has a record of economic success in Virginia. He is often labeled a contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination and seen as having a presidential aura. Moreover, Youngkin could attract moderates from both parties and independents, all eager to move past Trump’s drama with a new face.

All are reasons why Youngkin’s recent “Fox News Sunday” announcement surprised political pundits, when he told host Jacqui Heinrich, “I agree with President Trump, I agree with Marco Rubio: I think Vice President Vance would be a great nominee.”

Immediately, speculation shifted to whether Youngkin is running for Vance’s potential vice presidency, angling for a high-profile position in Trump’s Cabinet, or both. Youngkin’s way-too-early “endorsement” also positions him for a possible VP fight with Secretary of State Rubio.

However, the prospects of a “Vance coronation” were criticized by Trump’s first-term press secretary, Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany. She challenged Vance’s heir-apparent status, as The Hill reported in its headline: “Kayleigh McEnany urges GOP to seek competitive primary in 2028: ‘It makes you tougher.’”

Ironically, Youngkin would be well-suited to “toughen” Vance. Although Youngkin has ruled himself out for now, a change of heart is possible. Vance could falter — perhaps in part because he will be forced to defend Trump amid a backlash against him, even as Trump hovers above him and demands loyalty.

The final chapter of Youngkin’s gubernatorial reign dangerously pitted him against MAGA. The “voice of MAGA,” Steve Bannon, hosts a daily War Room podcast. This powerful platform makes him a kingpin in the movement, with his own agenda.

Immediately following Virginia Republicans’ devastating defeat in November’s election, Bannon posted on X: “Glenn Youngkin, you just ended your political career last night. You destroyed the Republican Party in Virginia for a GENERATION. You pushed a Never-Trumper candidate and made it so she was the only option! Absolute disaster.”

Youngkin’s high job approval ratings failed to carry over to the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R), whom Youngkin endorsed but Trump did not. The hard truth was that a massive anti-Trump wave propelled the Democrats’ gubernatorial candidate, moderate former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D), to an unexpected 15.5-point victory. She is now Virginia’s first female governor.

In context, Trump lost Virginia by only 5.7 percentage points in 2024, but in 2020, he lost by 10 points. What infuriated Bannon was that there was no Republican gubernatorial primary, where Bannon believed Youngkin could have pushed for a more Trump-friendly nominee.

Besides winning the historic governor’s mansion, Virginia Democrats swept the lieutenant governor and attorney general offices. Additionally, Democrats increased their 51-to-49 majority in the House of Delegates to a whopping 64–36 advantage ahead of the statehouse session, where redistricting by November’s midterm elections is an action item.

Interestingly, during Youngkin’s pivotal Fox News interview, he refused to acknowledge that anti-Trump sentiment drove Virginia’s Republican wipeout. Obviously it did, but Spanberger’s message focused on affordability. Shortly after, Trump learned that “affordability” was resonating with voters, so he mocked the word.

Curious about Youngkin’s 2028 prospects, I asked Mark Halperin, the famous editor in chief of the live interactive video platform 2WAY and host of Next Up. He answered: “Governor Youngkin is poised to be a strong presidential candidate for the post-Trump Republican Party — outsider credentials, money, quick with a smart elbow — but there is no way to know for sure if Youngkin is tough enough, agile enough, and national enough to win both a nomination fight and a general election contest.”

All true, but we do know that November’s midterm elections will also be a “beauty contest” featuring Vance, Rubio and Youngkin, along with other prospective 2028 Republican leaders. They will campaign nationwide, arguing that Republicans must retain control of Congress while defending Trump’s policies, using pretzel logic for most.

Then, in 2028, Trump will attempt to dominate the Republican primaries and the general election like no president in U.S. history, aggressively shaping his legacy.

Myra Adams is a political and religious opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Jan. 9, 2026

You might have heard the quote describing the vice presidential office as “not worth a bucket of warm spit.” Credit John N. Garner, who was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president from 1933 to 1941.

That demeaning statement has proven both accurate and inaccurate, depending on the president’s relationship with the vice president, their skill set, experience, and political ambition. However, an untimely presidential death always hovers over the vice presidency, transforming that “spit bucket” into the seat of power.

Vice President JD Vance is 180 degrees removed from the bucket and widely considered the office’s most powerful occupant. In one year, at age 41, Vance has surpassed the overall influence of Vice President Dick Cheney during President George W. Bush’s tenure from 2001 to 2009.

The power and trust President Trump has bestowed on JD Vance is why he attracts megawatts of media attention. It began in August 2024, when the inexperienced junior senator from Ohio was unexpectedly tapped as Trump’s running mate. Presumably, because Vance was chosen as the “heir apparent” to the MAGA throne, he is a “developing” news story.

Last year, my Vance-related op-eds were published on Jan. 31, May 16 and July 18. The topics included Vance’s ambition, a quiet drama involving Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump Jr., “wild speculation” about 2028, and inevitable power struggles that are destined to intensify. The hot questions now are “Is Rubio rising? Why is Vance absent? Is Don Jr. the one to watch?”

This week, RealClearPolitics poll averages show Vance with nearly 50 percent support for the 2028 Republican nomination. Even before declaring his presidential intentions, Vance received a powerful early endorsement in late December.

Tasked with winning Trump’s “third term,” Vance’s first and ongoing battle is managing his relationship with Donald J. Trump, which cannot be managed for many reasons. It is well established that the president can never lose, stomps on rules and laws, has the thinnest skin, is consumed by his legacy, and demands loyalty above all else. Furthermore, because Trump is a “family man” and reluctant to surrender power, Don Jr. stands in the wings, potentially complicating Vance’s path to the White House.

In September, President Trump and Republicans announced legislation to officially change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. The latest problem for Vance is that the department is taking its rebrand too literally, threatening or engaging in a dangerous, multi-nation-conquering, oil-grabbing rampage that the vice president must defend, yet has been noticeably quiet.

Vance’s second biggest battle is overcoming political history, which statistically does not favor incumbent vice presidents’ chances of winning the White House. Since our nation’s founding, only four incumbent vice presidents have been elected president. Yes, only four: John Adams in 1796, Thomas Jefferson in 1800, Martin Van Buren in 1836, and, 152 years later, George H. W. Bush in 1988.

By comparison, eight vice presidents have assumed the highest office after presidential deaths, and one due to a resignation. That means, statistically speaking, JD Vance has a 100 percent higher chance of becoming the 48th president due to tragedy than through the electoral process.

Setting aside a “tragic promotion,” let’s review the data and circumstances surrounding the last incumbent vice president’s 1988 victory compared to what Vance might face 40 years later.

George H.W. Bush really did win Ronald Reagan’s “third term,” thanks to generally favorable economic conditions and little voter appetite for national change. The vice president won 426 Electoral College votes compared with 111 for Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, a lackluster liberal candidate. Bush’s landslide was the last time a presidential candidate won more than 400 electoral votes. Most notably, it was the third consecutive Republican landslide, a feat unlikely to be repeated.

Vice President Bush basked in Reagan’s high job approval rating, which averaged 53 percent in 1988. By comparison, Gallup reports that Trump’s second-term job approval average is 41 percent, trending down to 36 percent in December. The New York Times’ daily poll approval average is 43 percent, while RealClearPolitics, which usually trends more Trump-friendly, shows a 44 percent job approval. Thus, if Vance’s reality is a 10-point or greater job approval difference between Trump’s in 2028 and Reagan’s in 1988, Vance should have a tough time succeeding his boss. But 2028 is centuries away in political years. (Look at the first days of 2026!)

For now, Vance must help Trump keep the House and Senate in Republican hands by continually singing the president’s praises and playing the loyalty card. November’s outcome will be epic because “Trump cannot lose.” But if the GOP loses the House while keeping the Senate, Trump will still need a fall guy, and “MAGA heir” JD Vance could be that person.

No matter the outcome of the midterm elections, the 2028 general election will strategically loom over Vance. So, how does the vice president manage Trump for a historic win? He doesn’t. He can’t. Trump is unmanageable and will intervene like no incumbent in history. Then, if Trump stays well under a 50 percent job approval rating, Vance will need to break some ties, and political hell could break loose. The experiences of the last two vice presidents serve as examples of the perils that could await Vance.

First is Mike Pence. He was loyal to the core during Trump’s first term until the president demanded that Pence break the law on Jan. 6, 2021. But Pence stood up to his boss, stood tall for the law, and saved democracy. Trump and MAGA have marginalized him, but history will remember Vice President Pence as a hero.

Second is Kamala Harris. A month before the 2024 election, the vice president was asked, “If she would have done something differently from President Biden.” Harris, ever loyal to her unpopular boss, answered with a political kiss of death, “There is not a thing that comes to mind.” Predictably, Trump jumped on her answer, forcefully arguing that Harris would continue Biden’s failed policies.

Vance can look forward to that traditional vice presidential dilemma between loyalty and distance, which explains why only four incumbents have won the presidency in 250 years.

Myra Adams is a political and religious opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.

Tags Bush Dick Cheney Dick Cheney Donald Trump Donald Trump Donald Trump Jr. Donald Trump Jr. Franklin D. Roosevelt George H. W. Bush George H.W. Bush George H.W. Bush George W. Bush JD Vance JD Vance John Adams John N. Garner Kamala Harris Marco Rubio Marco Rubio Michael Dukakis Mike Pence Ronald Reagan Thomas Jefferson

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Dec. 19, 2025

President Trump’s mint unveiled a coin commemorating his assassination attempt.

America’s last big birthday was the 1976 bicentennial. The 1969 moon landing solidified national pride, but the years leading up to 1976 were marked by a series of traumatic political events stemming from the Watergate scandal. Then, in April 1975, the Vietnam War, which had cost 58,220 American lives, ended in an embarrassing catastrophe. Meanwhile, the massive social movements for women’s rights and civil rights were taking hold and helped shape the nation we are today.

Having come of age as our nation endured turmoil and dramatic change, on July 4, 1976, I was proud to be an American, as a College Republican leader and an Army ROTC Cadet. From Fort Riley, Kan., I watched the bicentennial festivities with some of my fellow cadets. We were all proud that our country was forging ahead as the world’s greatest power.

Fifty years later, I feel less pride. As America nears its 250th birthday, dangerous trends threaten what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they boldly declared the United States into existence based on the revolutionary philosophy of unalienable rights “endowed by their Creator.” That philosophy was considered “revolutionary” because, for centuries, people’s rights and freedoms had been granted by kings rather than endowed by God.

Let’s examine four of those “dangerous trends” our founders would not have celebrated. Presented in no particular order, each poses an immediate and future national threat, beginning with the president’s desecration of national dignity.

On Flag Day — Sunday, June 14, which is also Trump’s 80th birthday — he will celebrate his passion for fighting by proudly hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed-martial arts event on the White House South Lawn. A 5,000-seat arena will be built to accommodate several cage-fight matches. This undignified display of violence, with fighter “weigh-ins” at the Lincoln Memorial, will diminish our national character at home and abroad. Is “Emperor Trump” reverting to the days of the Roman Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death for the amusement of the masses?

 Another presidential throwback to Roman emperors was a proposed 250th-anniversary “Semiquincentennial $1 Coin” featuring Trump’s face and the inscriptions “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “1776-2026.” More outrageous, in October, the Treasury unveiled a dollar coin with Trump’s iconic “fight-fight-fight” fist-pump visage.

Thankfully, half of Americans will celebrate the news that no official Trump coins will be minted in time for the 250th, at least according to current plans. The founders can applaud that one from their graves. Many believe, as I do, that a “fight-fight-fight” coin would have desecrated our national dignity.

However, on Monday, Trump managed to do that anyway by issuing the most outrageous, “inexplicable,” false political statement in response to the tragic murder of legendary Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife. The bipartisan fallout continues on that one. On the cusp of our 250th anniversary year, George Washington’s 47th successor drove a stake through the last vestige of national civility, decency, and moral presidential leadership, just two months after bulldozing the East Wing of the White House.

The next dangerous trend in the semiquincentennial era is the imbalance among the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Our founders would be dismayed by the now weakened legislative branch they designed in Article 1 of the Constitution. It was the Constitution’s centerpiece, the branch closest to the people, where laws originate and where the power to tax and declare war resides.

Now the legislative branch has been willfully eroded and usurped by the executive branch, with the current occupant coercing legislators’ votes through fear and threats of primary challenges. The president sometimes acts more like a king, against whom the founders rebelled and declared independence.

Furthermore, the judicial branch, constitutionally described as “the judicial power,” that is “vested in one supreme Court,” has now often acted as a rubber stamp for the executive branch. Moving forward, our national challenge is whether the three coequal branches will ever revert to the original balance that has kept our nation strong and free. Read more..

By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill – Dec. 5, 2025

In what President Trump calls the “golden age of America,” Democratic Party ads that quote the president will write themselves.

This messaging strategy could be effective because his name will appear — metaphorically speaking, anyway — at the top of every ballot during next year’s midterm elections. 

Throughout 2026, voters can expect a surge of shocking, unpresidential statements and Truth Social posts that quickly turn into ads. Democrats are already relishing this year’s most outrageous “Trumpisms,” which will make their job easier. Let’s review a series of quotes that Democrats could use to win back Congress.

“They came up with a new word — ‘affordability.’”

One can imagine that Democratic communication teams cheered after hearing Trump mock the word “affordability,” — sarcastically exaggerating each syllable as if the issue were a joke. More politically damaging, his quote was amplified by the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum setting. This Trump-hosted billionaire boys club drew the world’s most powerful business leaders and wealthiest investors to the Kennedy Center on Nov. 19.

Mocking “affordability” from that podium screamed “Trump is out of touch,” since it was the top reason Republicans got crushed during last month’s off-year elections. Then, Trump complained, “I mean, we’re bringing prices down, but they came up with a new word, affordability.”

In a suggested future ad, a voiceover could explain: “When Trump says ‘they,’ he means you and your family who are living this affordability crisis. The president can mock affordability, and you can elect Democrats to Congress.”

During his Cabinet meeting this week, Trump added more fuel to the affordability fire, saying, “The word affordability is a Democrat scam.” That remark could generate another ad asking, “Why is affordability Trump’s least favorite word?” highlighting rising health care costs and soaring prices across all sectors, for which even Trump’s own supporters are blaming him. Read more..