Will Democratic victory in November really stop Trump? | Opinion
By K. Ward Cummings
Portland Bureau Chief
AUGUST 25, 2026
As the 2026 midterms approach, political analysts are raising concerns that President Donald Trump’s policies and actions may have inflicted irreversible damage on the U.S. government, potentially altering the nation’s trajectory for decades. While a Democratic victory in November could mark the beginning of a course correction, some experts argue that restoring the federal machinery to its pre-Trump state may require sustained electoral wins—and a radical shift in voter behavior.
K. Ward Cummings, a former Portland resident and senior adviser to Congress members, explores these challenges in his new book, Partner to Power: The Secret History of Presidents and their Most Trusted Advisers. Cummings warns that Trump’s dismantling of federal institutions and regulatory frameworks could persist long after his term ends, unless Democrats secure not just the House of Representatives this fall, but also a decisive Senate majority—and another sweep in 2028.
According to Cummings, many of Trump’s most consequential decisions were deliberately designed to be difficult to reverse. These include the administration’s systematic reductions to the federal workforce, the weakening of food safety and environmental regulations, and the integration of white nationalist elements into roles traditionally held by career civil servants. Other actions, such asTrump’s sale of presidential pardons to the highest bidder and his administration’s control over sensitive files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case, may also prove permanent, depending on future court rulings.
“The president understood that dismantling the administrative state would create lasting paralysis,” Cummings writes. “Reinstating thousands of dismissed employees and rolling back regulatory rollbacks would be prohibitively expensive and politically contentious, even for a majority-led Congress.”
The author contends that mere Democratic victories in the midterms may not suffice. To meaningfully reverse Trump’s damage, Democrats would need to secure a supermajority in both chambers of Congress—a feat requiring significant voter turnout, particularly among traditionally marginalized groups.
Cummings places heightened importance on Black voter participation, citing their pivotal role in past Democratic victories. “They will need to come to the polls as if former President Obama are on the ballot—because, in a way, he is,” the piece states. Analysts also highlight the influence of Latino voters and pro-Trump Republicans who prioritized stability over ideology in 2024 but might now oppose Trump’s constitutional erosion.
Meanwhile, the article underscores a broader call for Democratic messaging to transcend anti-Trump sentiment. “Americans aren’t just seeking a return to normalcy,” an excerpt from the piece notes. “They’re demanding a future where hope—hard-won and systemic—becomes a defining promise of American democracy.”
Cummings’ framework frames the 2026 elections as a referendum not just on policy but on national identity. His analysis suggests that overcoming Trump’s legacy will require more than tactical voting: it demands a unified citizenry committed to reclaiming the ideals of governance, transparency, and equal opportunity.
“The cost of inaction,” Cummings concludes, “is a permanently fractured republic.”
For now, the outcome hinges on whether voters embrace that warning—and decide that November’s choices are, in his words, “not about looking backward, but about reclaiming the future.”
K. Ward Cummings is a former senior adviser to members of Congress and the author of Partner to Power: The Secret History of Presidents and their Most Trusted Advisers*. Follow him on Twitter @KWCummings Press.*
