As midterms loom, Trump and his allies try to change the subject

Despite distraction and distortion, voters know what issues will be informing their votes in this election

• This was originally published in The Stakes 2026, a newsletter about the midterm elections. Sign up to get it in your inbox

Elections too often get pigeonholed. The hot take, or simplistic analysis, would have it that just one issue – often the issue the source so happens to be most animated about – will decide the entire result.

Tens of millions of Americans will go to the polls next month. Will they be galvanized by affordability? Maybe it’s Iran. Or healthcare? Taxes, perhaps. Or crime.