# Breaking the Decade-Long Trump Fever

> Democrats sweep midterms, shattering Trump's decade-long grip on power.
- Title: Breaking the Decade-Long Trump Fever · The New Yorker
- Summary: Democrats sweep midterms, shattering Trump's decade-long grip on power. Democrats won sweeping midterm victories, rejecting Trump's policies and restoring…
- Keywords: breaking, democratic victory, midterms, trump pardon, watergate babies, democratic governors, senate majority, governor elections, democratic senators, trump administration, political shift, midterm elections
- Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/magazine/2026/11/16/breaking-the-decade-long-trump-fever
- Author: David Remnick
- Published: 2026-11-07T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: breaking, democratic victory, midterms, trump pardon, watergate babies, democratic governors, senate majority, governor elections, democratic senators, trump administration, political shift, midterm elections
## 1974 Watergate Pardon
President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon after Watergate, triggering a political backlash that cost Republicans forty-nine House seats and four Senate seats.

> Watergate, Ford said, had been "an American tragedy, in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must."
## 2026 Democratic Midterm Surge
Democrats won sweeping victories in both houses of Congress, securing nine of ten most populous states and flipping key battleground states.
## Firsts and Milestones
Democrats elected the first Muslim senator, first Black female governor, first Latino governors in Texas and California, and first Native American female governor.
## Trump's Authoritarian Shift
Trump deployed racist rhetoric, defunded institutions, and appointed controversial figures like Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem to his administration.
## Midterm Voter Concerns
Voters prioritized economic issues including fuel prices, groceries, housing, and health care amid Trump's policies.
## Trump's Inaugural Behavior
Trump prioritized moguls at his inauguration, spending tens of millions on his wife's documentary about limousine travel and private planes.
## Trump's International Actions
Trump ordered military intervention in Venezuela, imprisoning its president and elevating a compliant leader to extract oil and gold.
## Trump's Social Media Blame
Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses, claiming he would have won in a landslide if he had been on the ballot.

> I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!
## Democratic Resilience
Judges, civil-rights lawyers, academics, and citizens stood up to Trump's bullying, corruption, and heartlessness.
## White House PSA
The White House issued a social media PSA claiming Trump remains the president despite midterm losses.
## J.D. Vance's Stance
J.D. Vance believes Trump will decide who becomes the Republican nominee by acknowledging the folly of war with Iran.

> Donald Trump will ultimately decide who’s going to be the Republican nominee.
## Democratic Opportunity
Democrats have won an extraordinary opportunity to deliver on voter demands and transform American politics.
## Key takeaway

Democrats won sweeping midterm victories, rejecting Trump's policies and restoring democratic norms after his authoritarian tendencies.