One year out from Election Day 2026, Tuesday’s results could shape 2026 midterms
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(WASHINGTON) — From New York and New Jersey to California, millions of Americans are voting this fall in multiple states, in several notable local and statewide elections for the first time since last November’s presidential race.
The results from Tuesday’s off-year elections in New Jersey and Virginia — and the New York City mayor’s race — will give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the country and their communities.
ABC News has launched a series of stories and reports across multiple platforms to comprehensively cover the issues at the center of this year’s elections and look ahead at the 2026 midterms.
Tuesday’s elections could hold clues to how Americans view this pivotal moment in the country, and reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s position one year away from the consequential 2026 midterm elections.
And in California, where Democrats have asked voters to approve redrawing the state’s congressional map as part of a national redistricting battle, the results will help shape next year’s fight for the balance of power in Washington and control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The stakes are high for both parties: A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, found that two-thirds of Americans say that the country is “pretty seriously off on the wrong track,” compared to one-third who say it is moving in the right direction.
That figure, while lower than the 75% of Americans who said the same at the same time last year, comes as 6-in-10 Americans blame President Donald Trump for the current rate of inflation.
More than 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, management of the federal government and tariffs — and 64% said he is going “too far” in trying to expand presidential power.
At the same time, 68% of Americans say the Democratic Party is “out of touch with the concerns of most people in the United States today,” compared to 63% who feel the same way about Trump, and 61% who say the Republican Party is out of touch.
Voters will weigh in on the state of the country this fall as the federal government remains shut down, with Democrats locked in a battle with Republicans and the Trump administration over federal spending and health care.
Americans blame both parties for the logjam that is jeopardizing some federal programs and frozen pay for hundreds of thousands of government workers. The message some voters send this week could potentially break the impasse, and jump start talks to reopen the government.
(WASHINGTON) — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson defended labeling this weekend’s “No Kings” rallies opposing President Donald Trump as “hate America” rallies, arguing that he was not referring to Democrats themselves but the message of the protesters.
“Just on this notion that these are, ‘hate America’ rallies — and you not only talked about anarchists, antifa advocates, pro-Hamas wing — you said this is the modern Democratic Party,” ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl asked, referring to comments Johnson made last week. “But I remember not that long ago what you said after the murder of Charlie Kirk when you said that we should view fellow Americans, not as our enemies, but as our fellow countrymen.”
“I’ve never called anybody an enemy,” Johnson said, but claimed that “there were a lot of hateful messages” during Saturday’s protests.
“I mean, we have video and photos of pretty violent rhetoric calling out the president, saying fascists must die and all the rest,” he added. “So it’s not about the people, it’s about the message.”
Pressed by Karl about Johnson likening anarchists, antifa and Hamas to the modern Democratic Party, Johnson defended his remarks.
“I never said it was the whole Democratic Party, but you and I have to acknowledge the reality,” Johnson said before turning his criticism to New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“Look at what’s happening in New York. They’re about to elect an open socialist Marxist as the mayor of America’s largest city. There’s a rise of Marxism in the Democratic Party. It’s an objective fact, and no one can deny it,” he said.
Mamdani has previously stated he is not a “communist,” as Trump has called him. He identifies as a democratic socialist and has repeatedly claimed that label.
Johnson also argued the “No Kings” branding of the nationwide protests was ironic.
“If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise out on the (National) Mall,” he said.
Here are more highlights from Johnson’s interview:
On not yet swearing in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva Karl: When are you going to swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva
Johnson: As soon as we get back to legislative session, when Chuck Schumer allows us to turn the lights back on.
Karl: Why haven’t you done already?
Johnson: Because this is the way the institution works. I’m following the Pelosi precedent, by the way.
…
Karl: And what about the Johnson precedent? I mean, you swore in two Republicans the day after their election.
Johnson: I’m happy to answer. I’m happy to answer. Pelosi precedent — Pat Ryan. Joe Sempolinski. They were elected during an August recess. So 21 days later, when the House returned to regular legislative session, they were administered the oath. That’s what we’re doing. We’re not in session right now. Rep. Grijalva was elected after the House was out of session. As soon as we returned the legislative session, as soon as the Democrats decide to turn the lights back on so we can all get back here, I will administer the oath —
Karl: You could swear in tomorrow, right?
Johnson: No. Not tomorrow. No, we couldn’t, we wouldn’t. There was an exception for two Floridians earlier in this Congress. But the reason was they were duly elected. They had a date set. They flew in all their friends and family and the House went out of session unexpectedly.
Karl: So if she flies in friends and family —
Johnson: We don’t have a date set. She was elected after we were out of session.
On former Rep. George Santos’ sentence being commuted
Karl: What do you make of that?
Johnson: The president has the right around the Constitution for pardon and —
Karl: For sure.
Johnson: And commutation, of course. We believe in redemption. This is a personal belief of mine. And I, you know, I hope Mr. Santos makes the most of his second chance.
…
Karl: Is it OK for him to say, essentially, “I’m pardoning someone because they always had the courage — “
Johnson: That’s not the reason.
Karl: “Conviction and intelligence to always vote Republican?”
Johnson: That’s one snippet of what he said, among many things about George Santos.
Karl: Should that be a factor in pardoning somebody that they vote Republican — or clemency?
Johnson: No, and I don’t think — I don’t think it was. No, I don’t think it was. I just think he’s talking about, this individual and his past, and at least he’s open and transparent about it. Joe Biden never told us anything. And frankly, we’re not even sure he knew who he’s pardoning on any one of those things.
How ICE is conducting enforcement operations Karl: I want to play something for you that (podcast host) Joe Rogan recently said about how this is being undertaken. Take a listen.
Joe Rogan (host, “The Joe Rogan Experience”): The way it looks is horrific. It looks — when you’re just arresting people in front of their kids and just normal, regular people that have been here for 20 years. That — everybody who has a heart can’t get along with that.
Karl: Do you worry that these ICE raids are going too far, or at least — or could go too far?
Johnson: I think everybody is aware of the optics, but I do believe in the rule of law. And I believe the American people were alarmed that the, the, the border was wide open for four years, and by many estimates, as many as 20 million illegal aliens get into the country, many of them hardened, dangerous criminals —
Karl: What you’re seeing people that have been in the country 20 years or more with that have families. You know, have American citizens as children, as spouses, that are facing, you know, these pretty rough deportations.
Johnson: Yeah. And no one takes any pleasure in that at all. What ICE has prioritized is the dangerous, hardened criminals first. And there’s probably a few million of those, OK? So they’ve been trying to round them up and send them back home with great success.
Whether he has concerns about military operations in the Caribbean Sea Karl: Don’t you have questions for him (Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth) about what’s happening in Venezuela We have this buildup around Venezuela. We have the, the targeting of these boats. I mean, you must at least have questions. I know we have questions.
Johnson: The targeting of the boats? You have drug cartels bringing in fentanyl and boatloads of it that would kill potentially hundreds of thousands of Americans. What we’re doing is restoring —
Karl: You have no questions about how they’re doing.
Johnson: No, I believe in peace through strength. I think that the president and the commander-in-chief are in charge of ensuring national security and the safety of the American people. And I think most common-sense Americans look at that and say “Thank goodness.”
(LONDON) — President Donald Trump kicked off his state visit to the U.K. on Wednesday by traveling to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles III.
Trump is the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch, having already been hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
The president and first lady Melania Trump will attend a state banquet with the royal family in Windsor on Wednesday evening.
Trump arrived at Windsor Castle aboard Marine One on Wednesday, having spent the night at Winfield House in central London. He and Melania Trump were greeted in the castle’s Walled Garden by Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.
Thursday will see Trump meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence in Aylesbury. The two men are expected to hold a press conference before Trump begins his journey back to the U.S.
During a background call on Monday with reporters, White House officials said that this visit will highlight what they called the deep ties between the United States and the United Kingdom.
“This historic second state visit is set to highlight and renew the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the visit will recognize and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States,” a White House official told reporters during a background call previewing the trip.
Trump will be greeted by a joint U.S.-British flypast of F-35 fighter jets. Around 1,300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by 120 horses will be involved in the ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle.
The guard of honor at Windsor will be the largest ever organized for a state visit to the U.K.
Sen. John Cornyn leaves a senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol, June 3, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has granted his request for the federal government to assist with locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.
Cornyn’s letter requesting federal help with locating and investigating the state legislators was sent on Tuesday.
“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,” Cornyn said in a news release.
The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Cornyn also joined “The Mark Davis” radio show on Thursday morning and expressed his gratitude for Patel’s prompt response.
“Just to get to the bottom of it, I asked Kash to look into it and he responded promptly, I’m grateful to him,” the senator said.
Cornyn also called the Democrats “irresponsible” for breaking quorum — and rendering the legislature unable to take up any legislation, including some in responds to the floods that devastated the region recently.
“There are a number of things on the call that Gov. Abbott has listed, including redistricting, but they’re missing all of those. And I think that’s irresponsible, and I think we just need to get to the bottom of it,” said Cornyn. “They got to come back home sometime … it’s not going to be successful. They’re not going to be able to ultimately escape their responsibility. It’s a stunt.”
The Texas House of Representatives failed again on Tuesday to move forward on enacting the GOP’s new congressional map, which could net Republicans between three and five seats in next year’s midterm elections. Those added seats could be the difference maker over who has control of the U.S. House — a chamber where Republicans have a small majority.
House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said the legislature would try again on Friday to establish a quorum.
In the meantime, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to find and arrest those Democrats, an order Abbott said will remain in effect until they are “accounted for and brought back” to Austin.
President Donald Trump earlier this week told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce the FBI “may have to get involved.”
“You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about,” the president said at the time.
