this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2025
311 points (97.6% liked)

politics

26844 readers
2086 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

As Americans tire of Donald Trump, a Democratic midterm ‘tsunami’ could sweep the GOP out of power

It was a wake-up call for America. In January, Donald Trump took the oath of office, declared himself “saved by God to make America great again” and issued a barrage of executive orders. In the ensuing months the US president and his allies moved at breakneck speed and seemed indomitable.

But as 2025 draws to a close with Trump struggling to stay awake at meetings, the prevailing image is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Opinion polls suggest that Americans are turning against him. Republicans are heading for the exit ahead of congressional contests next November that look bleak for the president’s party.

“He came into office and, like a blitzkrieg, was violating laws and the constitution,” said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “The American political process is slow-moving and so he was able to do things that were extraordinary.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

Even if they won every single election the Dems will do nothing and wonder where their support went.

Because this happens every fucking time.

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 11 hours ago

The more I read about it, the less likely I believe it will occur.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 11 points 15 hours ago

I certainly hope so, but I'm afraid the Democrats will fuck it up or Leon Hitler will manipulate the voting machines with a "minor" update.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 25 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

People who vote for the Democratic party can get disfranchised easily, but the Republicans don't.

They will reliably vote Republican even if their party slits their throats, takes a piss on them, and kills their women.

This is the current conundrum.

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 10 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

MAGA specifically is a cult, they don’t follow any logic

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Republicans have always been a cult. Look at how they've always deified Reagan

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 5 points 17 hours ago

Which is ridiculous considering Reagan had no fucking clue what he was doing. He was a puppet President who had such severe Alzheimer's by the end all he could do is sit around and eat jelly beans while his wife and administration ran the show.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 19 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

And the Democrats will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, for totally unknown reasons.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

The reason is they won't listen to voters who are willing to left perfect be the enemy of better.

[–] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 2 points 15 hours ago

That’s a huge issue with voters honestly. They will vote against the democratic nominee because of 1 issue but are ok with a radical far right racist fascist because…Israel?

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 151 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Do. Not. Trust. Polls.

DO. NOT. TRUST. POLLS.

This feels like a fucking repeat of the 2024 election. The internet naively believing they know the outcome, because certainly people can't be that ignorant and shitty, can they?

They can.

They are.

Go talk to people in the real world, instead of reading articles written by fellow shut-ins, and realize that the narrative is FAR different for the average person. You people are setting yourselves up for disappointment. Again.

My prediction is the Dems will pick up just barely enough seats to take back control of the House. Not a snowballs chance in hell of taking back the Senate.

[–] sylver_dragon@lemmy.world 14 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

You're one of those folks who are too stupid to understand probabilities and what polls are actually saying, aren't you?
The polls in the run-up to the 2024 Presidential election were actually pretty good. The final aggregate error was right around 3.4 points [1]

Anyone who suggested that there was a clear favorite was lying about what the polls said. That's not a failing of the polls, its a failing of the media reporting on the polls. Sure, there were some particular, individual outliers. The Anne Seltzer poll comes to mind. But, credit where it's due, Seltzer published an outlier poll, because that was the outcome of the poll based on then methodology she had been using for a long time. Like with scientists publishing null results, it's actually really important that such things are published and not hidden, but they are usually hidden.

Go talk to people in the real world, instead of reading articles written by fellow shut-ins, and realize that the narrative is FAR different for the average person.

Then plural of "anecdote" is not "data". And quite the opposite here, if you're out talking to people within your own social bubble, you're far more likely to get a warped view of reality. This is one of the reasons polling is so hard, getting a truly representative sample of the population is hard. It is also likely a reason polls keep underestimating Trump. People with low social trust seem to favor Trump, and those same people are very hard to poll. They don't often pick up the phone and often aren't willing to divulge their political choices to strangers on the phone. So ya, expecting the polls to "miss" by 3-5 points, underestimating Republicans isn't all that out of line.

My prediction is the Dems will pick up just barely enough seats to take back control of the House. Not a snowballs chance in hell of taking back the Senate.

This is funny, because this is very much an opinion which will have been informed by polling. It's also what most analysis are coming up with:

Articles like the one posted by the OP are just pure hopium. Dems may make some gains this year, but a rational analysis of the current polling data tells a bleak story. They might get the House, the Senate is basically out of reach.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 33 points 23 hours ago

The only poll that matters is in November

[–] Jumbie@lemmy.zip 33 points 1 day ago

You speak sense. We can’t keep falling for these polls.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 17 points 23 hours ago

The polls and prediction markets showed Trump ahead in 2024...

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 21 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

“The president is a fuckup. He still has my complete support!” -Republicans.

[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 4 points 16 hours ago

If even half of the leopardsatemyface screenshots are real and not made up that'll be the case.

They're all along the lines of "Mr President I love everything youre doing and I'm glad I voted for you and everything is incredible but I cant afford to eat now and my gran died of totally preventable causes. Still love everything about you though"

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 7 points 15 hours ago

Can't wait for nothing to happen again.

[–] RedC@sh.itjust.works 16 points 18 hours ago

Really? Because I predict that millions of Americans wont be voting Democrat or at all because of the utter incompetence of the Dems. Not to mention the immediate bending over for the GOP after winning 3(?) Elections, reopening the govt in exchange for a promise, when the right was in the worst position it has been in decades and just when they were really feeling the heat.

Plus, we all want the democrats to be the ones to make reasonable laws we can all get behind but they dont do that. Like the "high capacity" magazine bans. In a time where more leftists are arming themselves than ever before, nobody wants that. They keep warning of a fascist takeover while simultaneously disarming citizens. Or the fact they voted to fund the military to the tune of $1 trillion. Or the democrats that voted with Republicans against youth trans care. Or their response to most republican shenanigans, a strongly worded letter.

Democrats have been doing nothing but fumbling the easiest victories they could ever have over and over again. Idk how anyone can expect democrats to win anything with this old guard establishment demo still in power.

Say what you will about the GOP, and I hate what their doing as well. But at the end of the day they get their shit done. For better or worse, at least they dont just sit on their power. I wish I could say the same about the dems

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 96 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I have so little faith in my neighbors, I won't be surprised if they gain seats.

[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago

Little faith in my neighbors AND that the elections will be above board

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Sad state of affairs but I agree.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 61 points 1 day ago (3 children)

GOP President violates laws, attacks our allies, openly takes bribes, and is barely functional.

Voters say 'We must be rid of him.'

Dem President steers a steady, if unspectacular, center Left policy that slightly improves voters' lives.

Voters say 'He's weak! We must be rid of him!'

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 58 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

The DNC never seems to undo the damage the GOP does, while continuing some choice parts of their horrors.

It feels like they work as the arresting mechanism on a ratchet and the only way the country is allowed to move is towards fascism.

I'd be eager to see some candidate come into office and use these same techniques the GOP does to actually fix shit and improve people's lives in a meaningful way. The GOP are going to say that they're a radical leftist authoritarian regardless of their actions, might as well be one

[–] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 14 points 23 hours ago

This is largely because people like Biden are still in this old school camp of gentlemen’s agreements where you don’t undo what the previous person did because that would be going against voter will or something. It really only works if both parties are trying to move the country forward.

[–] GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world 13 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The DNC never seems to undo the damage the GOP does, while continuing some choice parts of their horrors.

100% this! I’ve been on my worthless DINO rep about what the plans are to FIX what has been done, not just STOP anything else from happening - crickets. So I also let her know I’m done with this “vote blue no matter who” shit and the only vote I’d be casting for her seat is if she loses to a primary opponent.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 8 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Try looking at some recent history.

Obama came in with both Houses, and barely got the Affordable Care Act passed.

If you want a strong Dem majority you have to fight harder.

The GOP will block anything it can.

[–] josephc@lemmy.ml 5 points 19 hours ago

Adding on to that:

Obama had only the house for the first two years. The Senate has the filibuster rule which means control takes 60 seats.

On January 20th, 2009, 57 Senate seats were held by Democrats with two Independents (Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman) caucusing with the Democrats for 59 kinda' Democrat-ish votes in the Senate. Two more needed for "both houses".

Also, that included Ted Kennedy and Al Franken. Kennedy had a seizure basically at the start and never returned to vote. Al Franken wasn't seated until July 7th, 2009 because of repeated recounts.

So really 57 Senate seats. Three or four more for him to have both houses.

Kennedy was replaced by Paul Kirk in September and three other people swapped parties. So Obama had full control of the House and Senate from September 24, 2009 through February 4, 2010.

Four months.

If you're looking at that and thinking, "isn't that when they wrote and passed the ACA?" then you've got a good eye and a better memory.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 5 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

The DNC never seems to undo the damage the GOP does,

It takes a lot more time, effort and money to repair something than it does to break it.

I remember Biden trying multiple times to reduce student debt, only to be thwarted by the Republicans.

The wheels of justice were grinding along at their normal slow pace to convict Trump of some of his provable crimes, all the while being interfered with by Republicans and their nominees.

It takes time to do things the right way. Especially when troublemakers are constantly shoving sticks into the spokes.

It was moving forward, just much more slowly than people wanted

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Cruxifux@feddit.nl 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (8 children)

The dems do centre right policy almost exclusively.

[–] realitista@lemmus.org 14 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Today's Dems are basically Reagan Republicans

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] crusa187@lemmy.ml 6 points 19 hours ago

Dems are not left of center, get a grip.

[–] NachBarcelona@piefed.social 11 points 20 hours ago

LMAO, a mid-term tsunami. Sure, probably brought by Santa 

[–] cmbabul@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago

The cowards could probably still save themselves if they did the right thing and removed him, but they won’t so they are complicit

[–] BanMe@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

"Dragged down by an unpopular president" makes it sound like he's not the leader of the Republican party, he's not fully in control, he's not giving orders all the way down. "Intentionally torpedoed by its leader and self-anointed king" might be more accurate. But I digress.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Unpopular seems to me to be quite an understatement. I can only report back from Germany: here, he is deeply despised by most people.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Since he will never actually be punished, I just hope he lives long enough with his wits about him to see himself reviled and stripped of any respect and power. I don't have a lot of room for hatred in my heart, but there is no awful thing that could possibly happen to him that I wouldn't celebrate. I hope he experiences pure agony before the end.

And there are people who've done far worse to me personally I don't feel that way about.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 14 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Don't forget the Millers and Vances and all the eager fascists working to create Trump's agenda. Plus the Heritage Foundation and the Project 2025 people and all the evangelicals. Only a fraction of what's happening comes from the pedophile rapist crook with dementia who stands at the front. Any justice has to include all the other agents of fascism too.

[–] regedit@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 hours ago

In my head I have a special guillotine, with a blade like child safety scissors, that takes no less than 2 to 3 descents to do the job for those fascist cowards. There is no punishment harsh enough for those that have ushered in this shit-show of events.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 9 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

I have some hope that they will face justice. Trump never will. He just won't. Miller should be facing the rest of his life in prison. But he'll probably make sure Trump pardons him on the way out. Miller is probably a much worse human being than Trump. I would support giving him over to The Hague. Trump can't pardon that.

[–] GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world 14 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Any chance you can return the “depose the fascist” favor? You do kinda owe us one.

[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 13 points 23 hours ago

Unfortunately, in Germany we are also facing major problems with the resurgence of fascism. Here, it takes the form of the AfD these days, a right-wing extremist party that basically stands for the same inhumane ideology as MAGA: hatred, greed and blatant stupidity.

I attribute the popularity of these damn fascists primarily to the fact that Europe uses the same US social media platforms, which are controlled by the same billionaires. Another reason may be that Europe is also experiencing an economic downturn, and the AfD, like MAGA, promises a return to "the golden days," which is of course a blatant lie, especially since the AfD is a neoliberal party that, like MAGA, exclusively pursues policies that benefit the super-rich - yet somehow people here don't seem to see through this either.

So I'm afraid we can't help out, especially since the world today is a completely different place, if only because of nuclear weapons. Sorry :(

I'm afraid I phrased that incorrectly: In Germany, the US president is despised by the vast majority of rational-minded people, but unfortunately there are also many completely brainless, hateful people here who vote for a party that stands for exactly the same Nazi bullshit.

[–] rustyfish@piefed.world 5 points 19 hours ago

The American people won’t be fooled by polls again, right?

Right?!

[–] antifa_ceo@lemmy.ml 8 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Can't wait for the Dems to get power and just do a lighter version of what Trump is doing and everyone to fucking love it.

It's usually how it goes lol

Rarely do they actually learn and change for the better. They just get better at messaging around the same shit and people delude themselves into thinking there is any functional difference.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›