Historian Allan Lichtman: Americans 'should be very prepared' for Trump's attempt to contest the midterm election results

A warning ahead of the midterm elections

The renowned American historian Allan Lichtman, creator of the '13 Keys' election forecasting model, gave an interview to Euronews ahead of the US midterm elections, which will take place on November 3, 2026: on that day, part of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives will be up for re-election. Lichtman described Donald Trump as an 'aspiring authoritarian' — a politician striving toward authoritarianism — noting that he 'governs by means of executive orders.'

Seat forecasts and expectations for the election

Answering a question about Trump's tactics and expectations for the election, the historian warned that Americans should be 'very prepared' for an attempt by the president to revise the results 'by any means available to him' if the Republicans lose. According to him, historically a president with such low approval ratings loses on average 'about 40 seats in the House of Representatives and 6 seats in the Senate.' At the same time, in Lichtman's assessment, the noticeable enthusiasm among Democratic Party supporters makes the upcoming election 'good' for the Democrats.

What to expect after the election

Lichtman also suggested that if he suffers defeat in the midterm elections, Trump may govern by executive orders 'even more aggressively' than before, and he urged those who believe in American democracy to 'be even more vigilant' during the final two years of the presidential term. These assessments remain forecasts and the historian's personal opinion: the Euronews publication contains no data indicating that such attempts are already underway.