Fourteen months away from Nov. 3, 2026, I feel confident making one prediction: Next year’s midterm election will be the most dramatic in American political history.

That prediction is based on the “D” in Donald Trump standing for “drama.” Meanwhile, a recent poll found 52 percent of Americans believe he is a “dangerous dictator” — a timely topic this week.

In 2023, Trump famously vowed not to be a dictator “except for day one.” Fast forward to Monday, when Trump said, “I am not a dictator,” responding to criticism about deploying militarized National Guard troops for “emergency” crime control in Washington D.C. The president also threatened to send more troops to cities in blue states, despite gubernatorial opposition.

During Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Trump continued his dictator talk with denials and justifications. Doubling down, he ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to prepare National Guard units for rapid nationwide deployment.

Although Trump’s name won’t appear on the midterm ballot, his authoritarian tendencies will remain a significant issue. The president’s aggressive leadership style — characterized by fear, intimidation and intrusive actions expanding executive power — was detailed in Project 2025, Trump’s second-term manifesto, now

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