2026 midterm results: What a Democratic Congress could mean for Trump’s Cabinet
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Welcome to The Logoff: It’s a whole new world for President Donald Trump.
What’s happening? So far, surprisingly little: As we wrote yesterday, Trump has largely stayed quiet since his shellacking in Tuesday’s midterms (ballroom tour aside), and that continued on Thursday.
With the days counting down until Democrats take control of Congress, though, there are signs that things could begin to shift in his administration.
What could happen? A Cabinet shakeup, whether that means firings, resignations, or something in between. It’s not unusual after any midterm, and especially not after a loss this seismic (Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped down the day after the 2006 midterms amid voter anger about Iraq).
Whatever happens, though, might need to happen fairly soon: It’s always possible that Trump could skate by with acting secretaries (he’s previously said he’s a fan), but if he wants to get replacements confirmed, he’ll likely need to do it in the final two months of the current Republican Senate majority.
Who’s eyeing the exits? Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, potentially — but for very different reasons.
In Rubio’s case, it would give him a chance to distance himself from a radioactively unpopular presidency ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run — particularly as Vice President JD Vance is stuck writing social media posts about why the Iran war was maybe a bad idea.
Hegseth, meanwhile, is one of the public faces of the war. Trump has — for now — denied any designs on replacing Hegseth, but the secretary faces the prospect of impeachment as soon as next week. He’s also reportedly interested in being appointed to a soon-to-be-vacant US Senate seat for Tennessee, which would provide him a convenient escape (though based on Tuesday’s results, he might be an underdog to win an election anywhere in America).
What’s the big picture? We don’t yet know anything for sure about what’s next, but the chatter is reflective of the new world Trump and his administration are facing: dismally unpopular, deprived of easy confirmation hearings and cover from Republicans in Congress, and facing an aggressive oversight agenda.
And with that, it’s time to log off…
Hi readers, here’s a very cool story about an atmospheric phenomenon I’d never heard of before — transient luminous events, a type of lightning occurring in the upper atmosphere. You can read all about them — and see them! — here with a gift link.
Have a great evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
