SURF'S UP! ABC's 'Good Morning America' Can't Wait to Break Out Boards for Blue Tsunami

Early on Election Day 2026, ABC's Good Morning America could barely contain its excitement over what was predicted to be a strong night for their preferred party (Democrats), celebrating the "political headwinds," "record-low approval ratings," and that Americans want to give their party a chance because the Trump economy has left "people struggling to pay for basic essentials."

It was a far cry from their Election Day morning show in 2024, when they openly heralded Democrat Kamala Harris's "historic candidacy, with a message of unity and optimism" against Trump's "dark" and "anti-immigrant language," with his campaign allegedly feeling a negative "vibe shift."

The coverage started with a movie-style opening, which has become commonplace with ABC, going back to 2016.

Co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos started it off, emphasizing "the future of President Trump's agenda [is] at stake," followed by co-host Robin Roberts promising a look at "the state of play as Democrats try to turn Texas blue for the first time in decades."

Amateur pundit and co-host Michael Strahan had to also thumb his nose at the side he deeply hates: "Plus, the key issues driving voters to the polls, as gas prices hit a record for an Election Day, what voters are telling us."

This gave way to GMA's opening setup, often laden with punditry. After Strahan framed the day's narrative as whether his side (Democrats) can "gain in red states," Stephanopoulos also sneered: "A lot of engagement this year, but Republicans are facing political headwinds. President Trump's approval ratings are low, prices are high. The party out of power nearly always makes gains during the midterms."

As usual, ‘GMA’ had a setup laden with punditry.

After co-host and amateur pundit Michael Strahan framed the day’s narrative as whether his side (Democrats) can “gain in red states,” Stephanopoulos also sneered: “A lot of engagement this year, but Republicans are facing… pic.twitter.com/k6tfCzYxke

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

As usual, 'GMA' had a setup laden with punditry.

After co-host and amateur pundit Michael Strahan framed the day's narrative as whether his side (Democrats) can "gain in red states," Stephanopoulos also sneered: "A lot of engagement this year, but Republicans are facing… pic.twitter.com/k6tfCzYxke

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

The Biden regime's lead apple polisher, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce, similarly waved the pom-poms for her team:

Who will control Congress? What message will the country send the President? Those answers now in the hands of voters. This morning, millions of Americans heading to the polls, control of Congress on the line, the midterm elections, a critical test of the political power of President Trump. The President choosing to deliver his final pitch to voters at one of his personal projects, the Reflecting Pool...Trump detailing the improvements which cost taxpayers $16 million dollars.

Bruce surmised Trump's red-state rallies were proof of a GOP hellscape (click "expand"):

BRUCE: The President, speaking for more than 23 minutes before turning to the critical election for weeks, he's blitzed the campaign trail, hoping to drive turnout in competitive races —

TRUMP: I love you, Kansas.

BRUCE: — holding 28 rallies, mostly in states he won, but where Republicans are now playing defense. Top of mind for voters? The rising cost of living fueled by the war in Iran, Trump had promised no new strikes until after the midterms.

TRUMP: You know, I don't know if you even call it a war, because we haven't been doing any fighting for months.

BRUCE: But officials now confirmed to ABC News that yesterday the U.S. carried out strikes against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, part of a series of limited defensive strikes in recent weeks, the U.S. military estimates the war has cost $47 billion. As news of these defensive strikes broke, the President insisting that price tag is nothing compared to what the U.S. has earned through other foreign interventions.

TRUMP: This is peanuts compared to the kind of money that we've made.

BRUCE: Over and over again. Trump has urged voters to act like he himself is on the ballot, but now he appears to be bracing himself for losses.

TRUMP: For some reason, the sitting President doesn't win the midterms. But we gave this a very strong shot.

After Bruce and Stephanopoulos celebrated the Supreme Court rejecting a Trump Justice Department suit in California to "interfere in the elections," chief political correspondent Rachel Scott surfaced at ABC's big board to tell her friends what they'll need to do to retake Congress by being "on offense" against Trump's "record-low approval ratings" (click "expand"):

Democrats to flip the House, they're going to need to net three seats by the end of the night. In order to flip the Senate, they need to net four seats by the end of the night. Let's take a look at the Senate map. These are all the Senate races that are up for grabs tonight. 35 across the country. The path for Democrats to take control of the Senate. A lot more challenging here, and here's why. They're going to have to defend all of these states they currently have. These are all states where there's a Democratic senator currently. And then they're going to have to go on offense, flipping at least two states that President Trump won by double digits. We're talking about Alaska. We're talking about Texas. We're talking about Kansas. Many of these races in the final stretch, they have been very tight, a lot closer. But when we go back in history, it has been years, in some case, decades since many of these states have sent a Democrat to the Senate. In Ohio? Since 2018. In Iowa? 2008. Texas? 1988. Kansas? It's been nearly a century. Now, for Republicans to keep control of the Senate, what they're going to have to do to defend their home turf tonight, they're going to want to keep all of these red states. They're also going to try to go on offense in that critical state. They're in Michigan. But, of course, President Trump is entering this election with record-low approval ratings, guys.

Following a re-emphasis that cost of living matters (which ABC tried to downplay in 2024), Nightline co-host Juju Chang boosted Michigan senatorial candidate Abdul el-Sayed following the shocking Haley Stevens endorsement.

She held up pushback from his team that Stevens has given Democrats the incentive structure to vote for Mike Rogers: "[T]he el-Sayed camp says, no, no, that is not what happened. This defection only backfired. It only served to fire up the base and enrage Democrats, getting them to the polls. The next day, they announced a record $2.4 million in fundraising."

Weekend co-host Whit Johnson was in Texas to crown far-left State Representative James Talarico (D) as the Lone Star State's inevitable next senator, fawning over the "unexpected battleground state" and Talarico leading in the polls with a "David versus Goliath" message to include people Johnson said "used to vote Republican, but they're switching to Democrats this election."

Once Atlanta-based Steve Osunami finished a Georgia dispatch, four-time anti-Trump author Jonathan Karl gushed over Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Carolina possibly going blue because of Trump's "historic lows" in the polls (click "expand"):

I mean, we're seeing Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, even Mississippi, potentially a South Carolina — what is happening here is Democrats are hopeful that they can win in states that they have not won in a long time, and Republicans are bracing for a big blue wave. We'll see if it actually happens. Now, the only way, Robin, of course, as you heard from Rachel, that Democrats can win the Senate is if they can win in at least two states that Trump carried by double digits. And so, what does Trump done? He has asked voters to vote as if he is the person on the ballot. In other words, he has turned this midterm into a referendum on his presidency. That is a very risky proposition for a President that has historic lows in his approval rating, with a clear majority in poll after poll after poll of Americans saying they don't approve of his performance as President.

Chief business and economics correspondent (and former Apprentice contestant) Rebecca Jarvis offered some economic analysis that, other than footnoting low unemployment and gains in the stock market, sought to imply America's in a state of calamity (click "expand"):

Chief business and economics correspondent (and former Apprentice contestant) Rebecca Jarvis offered some economic analysis that, other than footnoting low unemployment and gains in the stock market, sought to imply America’s in a depression pic.twitter.com/OFpcx2aqT8

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

Chief business and economics correspondent (and former Apprentice contestant) Rebecca Jarvis offered some economic analysis that, other than footnoting low unemployment and gains in the stock market, sought to imply America's in a depression pic.twitter.com/OFpcx2aqT8

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, Rebecca, Trump is on the ballot. The cost of living is on the ballot.

JARVIS: Right. And I'm struck by the fact that we're having a nearly identical conversation today as the one we were having two years ago. The economy is the number one issue, as Rachel just shared, it was the number one issue there two years ago, and prices continue to climb. People struggling to pay for basic essentials like gas, groceries, housing, and health care. Back then, I traveled the country, people over and over said, we're maxed out. Again, that is happening with affordability getting worse, families are now paying $1,300 more a month on the same goods and services since five years ago, nearly $400 of that has occurred since January 2025, when Trump took office where we've seen the biggest increases is in prices. Our gas and diesel since the start of the Iran war, both at record highs this Election Day morning. Think about the fact that the average driver, guys, is visiting a gas station once or twice a week. That is a regular reminder that prices are still climbing. Gas this morning: $4.13 a gallon. That is up 2.99 is where it was this time last year. So, that's a big differential in people's minds as they go to the polls. Meantime, diesel, which is the fuel that really powers our economy — today, it's 6.29. A year ago, 3.67 again, another big differential. Now, unemployment jobs, they're there for the most part. Unemployment remains low 4.2 percent. The stock market is up 10 percent over the last year. But workers wages are not keeping up with rising costs, and we have to remember, when we look at the stock market, only about half of Americans have any access —

STRAHAN: Mmm, yeah. Mmhmm.

JARVIS: — have any money invested in the stock market. So people are stretched, they are dipping into their savings, they're taking on more debt. And when you look at those debt numbers, one of the concerning factors here is that people, those who are really behind that number is getting worse. Those who are really behind on their credit card bills.

STRAHAN: Yeah. Costs have really gone up.

JARVIS: They feel it, everyone.

STRAHAN: Yeah.

In the second half-hour, ABC brought out chief legal analyst Dan Abrams for a know-your-rights segment, which felt like a dog whistle to the left to be on the lookout for violent Trumpers trying to steal your vote:

In the second half-hour, ABC ran a know-your-rights segment, which felt like a dog whistle to the left to be on the lookout for violent Trumpers trying to steal your vote pic.twitter.com/kneDBLF6Fo

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

In the second half-hour, ABC ran a know-your-rights segment, which felt like a dog whistle to the left to be on the lookout for violent Trumpers trying to steal your vote pic.twitter.com/kneDBLF6Fo

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

The second hour had even more new reports from the field, but not after a recap from Scott to reiterate the marching orders for her fellow Democrats and remind them of a Reuters/Ipsos poll that says Americans want them to run the Congress amid the "highest ever" gas prices for an Election Day.

The second hour had even more new reports from the field, but not after a recap from Scott to reiterate the marching orders for her fellow Democrats and remind them of a Reuters/Ipsos poll that says Americans want them to run the Congress amid the “highest ever” gas prices for an… pic.twitter.com/TauPj0CE85

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

The second hour had even more new reports from the field, but not after a recap from Scott to reiterate the marching orders for her fellow Democrats and remind them of a Reuters/Ipsos poll that says Americans want them to run the Congress amid the "highest ever" gas prices for an… pic.twitter.com/TauPj0CE85

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2026

The first of two new reports came from correspondent Trevor Ault in Alaska. Strahan downplayed the Decoy Dan story, calling it "accusations...that Democrats tried to mislead voters." Ault reiterated that "most people know there's actually two Dan Sullivans on the ballot," but took Peltola's word for it she had no idea.

Ault then dismissed the story altogether: "What's not clear, though, is whether or not this issue is going to be very important to Alaskan voters, especially when you compare it to those other issues, like what Rachel was just talking about, gas prices and the economy."

Weekend co-host and weekday news reader Will Reeve closed things out for his fellow Democrats in Maine, trumpeting (cousin kisser) Troy Jackson and boasting he's heard from "many" Maine voters that they're "skeptical that past performance will indicate future results" for Collins bringing home federal money.

He then added:

Many of them feeling anti-Collins or even more forcefully anti-Trump, and they agreed with the Jackson campaign's portrayal of Collins as being too aligned with President Trump and his agenda, despite Collins's reputation as a moderate...[T]he question they will be answering today is: Does this spell the end of an era for Susan Collins, or will she hang on in this tightly contested race?

To see the relevant ABC transcript from November 3, click here.