WHEN PIGS FLY
Courtesy of wikipedia.org
As we head into the 2026 midterm elections, the behavior of Republican Congressional members puzzles me. Despite polls showing their approval rating is low enough to freeze water, they ignore constituent outrage and continue to ride calmly into the valley of political extinction. Have they lost their senses? Or do they know something the rest of us don’t?
Democrats fear that Trump and his followers are testing ways to “rig” the upcoming election, everything from usurping voter rolls, gerrymandering, and posting paramilitaries at precincts on election day to intimidate voters.
So far, these ploys have failed to serve Republicans well. Even so, they continue to support Trump’s war in Iran and turn a blind eye to his efforts to rob the taxpayer for his personal gain. About his role in the Epstein sex scandal, they say nothing.
Are they willing to go down with Trump’s ship? Recent polls say they will if they don’t turn course.
Or are they expecting another insurrection like the one in 2020, but hoping for success on a second attempt? Trump’s indifference to gas prices, the rise in inflation, and the opposition to his unpopular war suggest something is afoot.
Pundits are spinning theories to explain Republican surrender to Trump’s destructive agenda. They hint at dark money’s influence and AI’s spread of false information.
To my surprise, none of them predict that J. D. Vance, the current Vice President, will refuse to certify the results after the midterms. I’m not sure why that possibility is overlooked, given that Vance and his predecessor, Mike Pence, are men of different character.
I’m probably also alone in my opinion that Congressional Republicans follow Trump for a reason other than fear. Fear of him would not explain why they refuse to hold town halls with the public.
I suspect they treat their constituents cavalierly for a reason other than fear of Trump, one we’ve yet to discover. Perhaps they believe Trump will keep his promise about ending future elections. Or they could feel they’ve found a way to overturn the next one. That would explain why they are stampeding toward defeat with enthusiasm.
Judge J. Michael Luttig suggests there is a way for Republicans to avoid defeat, a gambit pundits have yet to consider. Article 1, Section 5, Clause 1 of our Constitution gives the House and the Senate the power to be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members… People may recall that in November 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson used this authority to delay seating Arizona’s newly elected House member, Adelita Grijalva, for several weeks.
Republicans might resort to this tactic, the judge says, if they face disastrous midterms. Either the House or the Senate could refuse to seat some of the newly elected members. The dispute could fall to the federal courts, though Congress has said the judiciary has no jurisdiction over them. If it went to the court, however, the appeal process could be lengthy: from District Court to the Appeals Court, and finally to the Supreme Court. Days, weeks, months, even a year could pass. In the meantime, Republicans would have the legislative advantage.
Judge Luttig’s solution to the potential stalemate would be for both political parties to draft an agreement before the election. As a judge, he believes in fairness. I, however, have a Machiavellian mind. Leveling the playing field on the eve of battle only happens when pigs fly.
The threat Judge Luttig exposes is real. I see no defense, however, except to give time and money to watchdog organizations to help sound the alarm. Doing so might not lessen the danger, but if I do nothing, I am complicit.
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