Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in better times

A few months ago, we noted that Democrats are running on “affordability” for the 2026 midterm elections. That choice looks smarter by the week. But affordability is only part of the story, because the same Republican recklessness driving prices higher also demonstrates an administration that keeps breaking the law and breaking things.

First, Donald Trump‘s global tariffs have raised costs on everyday goods from food to cars to washing machines. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that Trump had no legal authority to impose the tariffs. Yet Trump just slapped new 50% tariffs on Canada because of smoke from that country’s fires. Moreover, the tariffs were never really “reciprocal” as Trump claimed. Rather than matching the actual tariffs other countries charge on American goods, Trump falsely used a formula based on the U.S. trade deficit with each country. It’s a tax hike on Americans built on phony numbers, that was also illegal.

Trump’s Iran War follows a similar path. The war has pushed the national average price for Regular gasoline back above $4 a gallon, with diesel climbing past $5, as fighting disrupts shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Grocery bills are similarly affected, including sky-high prices on beef and other items, as analysts point to the same geopolitical chaos hitting fuel supplies.

Another Trump moment

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Democratic Party leaders and candidates have been focusing on the issues they think will work best to defeat the Republicans. For example, Democrats have been hammering “affordability” regarding gasoline prices, food prices, healthcare costs, childcare costs, etc., and that is certainly an important issue to stress.

At the same time, Democratic voters have a crucial role to play, besides just showing up to vote. One area where Democrats can make a difference is to get out their computers, tablets or phones and share pictures and videos of Donald Trump. We can hear you ask, “What? I already do that!” Well, we’re talking about specific pictures and videos showing Trump falling asleep, rambling incoherently, and in obvious declining physical and mental health.

This kind of focus on Trump’s physical and cognitive decline should work well for several reasons. First, Republicans (and their media supplicants) hammered President Joe Biden over his age, stamina, and fitness for office, often on very thin evidence, including Biden’s life-long stutter. During the 2024 campaign, Republicans repeatedly argued that age-related concerns about Biden raised questions of leadership and capacity. That messaging proved effective, helping make Biden’s age a defining story of the election cycle and driving Biden out of the race after just one debate with Trump.