(original no-shit hed not mine)

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will be watched around the world and recorded in the history books for one reason and one reason only: As a measure of how much the American people want to start rolling back Donald Trump’s authoritarian state.

That is what this Election Day is all about. And yet, shockingly, tragically, this element is almost entirely missing from the news media coverage, which has instead focused on the horserace, trivial scandals, and the cost of living. (My Bluesky followers agree.)

In these final days and hours, every news organization in America ought to be topping its home page and front page with articles about what’s at stake in these elections, to make sure its audience fully recognize the urgency and significance of their vote.

More than any congressional elections in history, this year’s have been effectively nationalized. They are a referendum on Trump and on whether it’s time for a massive course correction – or more of the same.

Looking back, there are so many ways news organizations could have told that story. To me, nothing illustrates Trump’s cruelty and lawbreaking more than the sight of masked, heavily armed men terrorizing Black and brown communities. Prominent articles should have said: You can vote for or against that.

Instead – and I have looked hard – I have found only one major news organization that made the connection between ICE’s cruel, inhumane tactics and an election that would put Democrats in a position to block them – or at least try.