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.
(LINCOLN, Neb.) — House Republican Rep. Mike Flood faced what appeared to be a hostile crowd during a rowdy town hall on Monday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The crowd erupted within just minutes of the start of the forum, shouting and heckling at the congressman as he touted President Donald Trump’s massive policy and tax bill that was signed into law in July.
Flood said there were about 750 members in the audience at Kimball Hall.
“I know this is probably going to be met with some resistance … I want the opportunity to tell you and talk to you about health care in the bill we just passed. I want to go right into this bill, because I know this is something a lot of people have questions about. And quite frankly, from where I sit, there’s been a lot of misinformation out there about the bill,” Flood told the crowd, which received loud boos from the audience.
He tried to walk the audience through key health care provisions of the megabill but was continuously drowned out by the raucous crowd.
“The only way we’re going to get through tonight is if I get a chance to tell you why I voted, because ultimately I represent you, and you will have your say,” he said.
The megabill’s impact on Medicaid was a main topic brought up at the town hall, which angered the audience.
“So, here’s a question. Do you think that people who are 28 years old that can work and refuse to work, should get free health care?” Flood asked, which received an unfriendly response from the crowd. “I don’t think that a majority of Nebraskans agree with you.”
The congressman argued that while Medicaid benefits were not cut, the changes to the program don’t “involve anybody that’s disabled, that is of senior age and unable to work, anybody that is pregnant or the vulnerable.”
When asked by an audience member how the congressman can justify taking away health care from Nebraskans, Flood brushed off the concern.
“We have a state where our infrastructure is going to be supported, is going to be funded, and is going to be available for the people that need it. If you are able to work, and you’re 28 years old and you choose not to work, you don’t get free health care in America. If you are in this country illegally, you do not get free health care in America.”
Audience members repeatedly shouted, “Tax the Rich! Tax the Rich! Tax the Rich!” as Rep. Flood discussed tax provisions of the megabill like no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.
The congressman pushed back, saying, “If we adopted the Democrats’ plan in the last Congress to tax the rich, it would generate $50 billion, which does not take us close to where we’re going. And it cuts job creation. It cuts business creation. It cuts the ability for employers to invest in their businesses.”
“This bill is a middle-class tax cut,” Rep. Flood said at one point, which received strong pushback and boos from the audience.
“I read the bill,” the congressman added when pressed by a constituent. “Is every bill perfect? No. But I supported this bill.”
Rep. Flood took several questions on a wide range of topics but the audience was remained not satisfied, yelling, “vote him out!” as the hour-and-a-half event came to a close.
CEO of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party’s presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — As voices across the political spectrum call to lower the temperature following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, many in the MAGA world are mourning his loss, with some enraged and escalating their rhetoric online.
Across social media, some of the most popular voices in the pro-Trump movement are calling for a crackdown on Democrats and for the Trump administration to take action in the aftermath of the killing.
In private, peers of Kirk say they are shocked and horrified by the shooting — with some MAGA influencers telling ABC News they may be hesitant to do public events in the future — but they are also equally angry and demanding consequences.
“This will be the real turning point,” one person told ABC News.
“The best way President Trump can reinforce Charlie’s legacy is by cracking down on the Left with the full force of the government,” said Laura Loomer in a post on X after Kirk’s death was announced.
“No mercy. Jail every single Leftist who makes a threat of political violence,” Loomer added.
In an earlier post, she wrote that “we must shut these lunatic leftists down. Once and for all. The Left is a national security threat.”
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has largely avoided politics in recent months, posted that “the Left is the party of murder” and added “if they won’t leave us in peace, then our choice is fight or die.”
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo called for a J. Edgar Hoover–style campaign to target the “radical left.” Hoover, as head of the FBI, led a sweeping, controversial crackdown amid the civil rights movement through surveillance and other means to target political groups.
“The last time the radical Left orchestrated a wave of violence and terror, J. Edgar Hoover shut it all down within a few years. It is time, within the confines of the law, to infiltrate, disrupt, arrest, and incarcerate all of those who are responsible for this chaos,” he wrote on X.
Pro-Trump influencer Joey Mannarino, who has over 600,000 followers on X, urged Trump to take an El Salvador–style approach — a reference to the country’s controversial campaign of mass arrests and suspended civil liberties, which drew accusations of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.
“Trump has to go full Bukele. Now. Fill the jails up with these terrorists,” Mannarino said.
Elsewhere, on Steve Bannon’s podcast, MAGA figure Jack Posobiec called for retribution.
“There’s never going to be another Charlie Kirk, but there’s never going to be another assassin to take out someone like the way they did because of what comes next will be swift, quick and it will be retribution,” Posobiec said.
One word in particular was echoed by leading voices in the MAGA movement: “War.”
Lone time Trump ally Bannon called Kirk’s death an assassination, remembering Kirk as a “warrior.”
“Charlie Kirk did not die,” Bannon said on his WarRoom show Wednesday, adding, “Charlie Kirk was assassinated today in Utah.”
In the conversation with Posobiec, Bannon said that his friend Kirk was a “casualty” whose life was taken in cold blood.
“Charlie Kirk is a casualty of the political war,” Bannon said. He also said, “We are at war in this country and you have to have steely resolve.”
Others echoed Bannon’s sentiment.
“THIS IS WAR,” the account Libs of TikTok posted on X after the shooting. The post has more than 78,000 likes.
Venture capitalist and Musk ally Shaun Maguire said in a post, “We’re not supposed to say this but the truth is we’re at War.”
And far-right radio host Alex Jones speaking in a video he posted on X declared, “we’re at war.”
Some prominent Republicans, however, called for an end to political violence on both sides of the political aisle.
Former President George Bush released a statement saying, “Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens,” he wrote.
In the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s killing, House Speaker Mike Johnson said during an appearance on Fox News “We have got to turn the heat down a little bit. We got to have civil discourse.” “That’s what’s so important for us to remember,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t regard one another as enemies. We’re fellow Americans, and we should have vigorous debate, but it cannot lead to political violence. It’s just too much.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told CBS the day after the shooting, “we cannot let what happened yesterday be the norm.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen politics degrading where some people feel if they disagree with you politically, they’ve got to try to go and eliminate those people,” Scalise said. “That is not what America is. You know, we solve our differences at the ballot box.”
Charlie Kirk poses at The Cambridge Union on May 19, 2025 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Photo by Nordin Catic/Getty Images for The Cambridge Union)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and his top administration officials are reacting after law enforcement sources said conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah on Wednesday.
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Several top administration officials also quickly issued messages of support for Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, has been a close ally to Trump and many members of his administration.
“Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted that the bureau is “closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
“Prayers for Charlie Kirk. An incredible Christian, American, and human being. May the healing hand of Jesus Christ be upon him,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wrote on X.
Republican members of Congress also said they are praying for Kirk.
“Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk,” House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X.
“This is a sick and despicable attack,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham posted. “I am praying for Charlie Kirk and his family. Please join me.”
Many Democrats also quickly spoke out against the shooting on Wednesday.
“I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah,” former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X. “Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family. Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the shooting as “disgusting.”
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote on X.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X: “Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”
Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic congresswoman who was shot in the head during a public event in 2011, also shared a message condemning acts of political violence.
“I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah. Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence. Mark and I are praying for Charlie’s recovery,” Giffords wrote.
Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was violently assaulted in their California home by an invader looking for Pelosi, called the shooting “horrific” and “reprehensible.”
“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” Pelosi wrote on X. “All Americans should pray for Charlie Kirk’s recovery and hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
