Commentary: Taking back Congress should be a slam dunk for Democrats

Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune on Sep 24, 2026

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There may never be a more favorable setup for a midterm election cycle than the current iteration.

As we roll into the thick of this year’s fall campaigns, Democrats are all wringing their hands about taking Congress back. We will get the House, they stoutly declare, then add a frail whisper that the Senate could be a long shot.

The Democrats are skeptical. They need to get over it. They should be exuberant.

There are many factors that should make taking Congress back a slam dunk.

Inflation is on fire. Go to the store one day to buy anything. Repeat the purchase next week, and the price is higher. Gas prices? Don’t even go there. Interest rates are going up, and the 10-year Treasury rate is near 5%, the highest in years.

We’re fighting with Iran. We’re crucifying Canada, our closest ally and neighbor to the north. Americans are nervous about losing our jobs to artificial intelligence and robots.

Farmers are sobbing in the soybean fields, thanks to President Donald Trump’s notorious tariffs. They can’t sell to China, their largest customer. The Brazilians are eating their lunch. And data centers seem to be springing up everywhere.

Voters don’t like it, at all. Trump’s response? Don’t worry, be happy. Just wait — AI will put a smile on your faces, he claims.

Good luck with that.

Serendipity in the form of misfortune is shining on the Democratic Party’s electoral prospects. It is time for the Dems to stiffen their spines and aim high.

Republicans are beginning to sense the slippage. When Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh raises interest rates, you know the situational awareness of a major defeat begins to emerge.

Republicans are starting to realize that many of their president’s actions are detrimental to their extended political livelihoods. Trump’s decision to back Ken Paxton, the GOP Senate nominee in Texas, shows poor judgment. The president is more concerned with rewarding slavish loyalty than supporting electability. Failing to recognize that flaw has been the downfall of emperors and autocrats.

Trump’s latest approval rating is languishing at 38%, according to a new national poll from The New York Times and Siena College, and it has been there for months.

The Trump phalanx is beginning to fray around the edges. Even his most craven acolytes are edging away. Take Darren Bailey, the failed-but-trying-again Republican gubernatorial nominee in Illinois. They know the future does not lie with Trump. The midterms will tell the tale. It’s in the biome, and you can feel it.

So, this should be a magical moment for the Democrats. Their good fortune is picking up speed, as the increasingly sclerotic and daft president furiously flails. Don’t be surprised if Trump starts blaming the Iran war on the Democrats. That corkscrew moment will be something to relish.

There’s one issue that the Democrats should hammer harder — corruption. One thing Trump does well is make money off the backs of American taxpayers.

Back in 2021, Trump blasted cryptocurrency, calling it a “scam.” Things have changed. Trump made more than $1.4 billion from business dealings in cryptocurrency in 2025, according to a mandatory financial report.

In the disclosure, Trump reported $635 million in royalties from Celebration Coins, “thought to be behind the $TRUMP meme coin which has plunged in value since he launched it days before taking office,” the BBC News reported in July.

He also “earned more than $236 million from token sales that came through World Liberty and another $197 million from an equity sale in a crypto business called Stablecoin Holdco,” Politico reported.

Meanwhile, as of June, the cryptocurrency industry had doled out $189 million to influence the 2026 midterms, which is outpacing its contributions in the previous election cycle, shows a study by Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.

“More than one-third of all corporate money contributed to this year’s November elections, and primary elections leading up to them, has come from the crypto industry, making it the top corporate political spender,” Reuters reported.

All that cash adds up to enormous influence.

Beware. When the cock crows once in the morning, everyone tunes in. When the cock crows all day long, we bring out the shotguns.

Voters are barraged with such a massive cacophony of ills that they are becoming anesthetized to the bad news. This is the moment when Democratic leaders need to bring it all into focus.

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Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Write to her at LauraLauraWashington@gmail.com.

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