Election Day is tomorrow. What happens after a blue wave? Poland may provide a preview.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin's creepy and un-American screed in which she advocated for punishing young people for the crime of working for the Trump
administration ("I want that deterrence message sent") put Republicans on notice. Slotkin hinted she would like to seek prison sentences of up to 20 years for some Trump appointees.
The former (?) CIA officer has invoked Poland's liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his "iron broom" to "clean up" rightwing populism.
But just days before Americans go to the polls, Poland is undergoing a constitutional crisis.
Tusk — under the banner of "restoring the rule of law" — attempted to strengthen his grip over the country's constitutional court.
Tusk's 2023 election victory hinged on undoing the Law and Justice Party's (PiS) changes, which emphasize patriotic sovereignty over European Union centralization. Promises made, promises kept: The PiS had resisted the EU's changes to Poland's high court. But a Tusk ally, Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, tried to forcibly unseat its PiS-aligned chief justice while President Karol Nawrocki, allied with the PiS party, was out of the country.
The hostile takeover got physical when Nawrocki returned and tried to enter the court building and was shoved back by Korwin-Piotrowska and a police cordon. He eventually got inside anyway. He held crisis talks at the presidential palace, but members of Tusk's coalition reportedly didn't show up.
Tusk has used the term "demokracja walcząca," militant democracy, implying the ends of "saving democracy" justify any undemocratic means.
The parallels between the efforts to defang PiS in Warsaw and "Trump-proof" Washington are too obvious to miss: Tusk co-wrote a book with Trump critic, "authoritarianism expert" and globalist par excellence Anne Applebaum.
If Democrats win control of Congress and wield committee gavels, will they simply be fulfilling their checks-and-balances duty to oversee the Executive Branch?
Or is Slotkin's invocation of Tusk's "iron broom" a sign that some Democrats are engaged in the same winner-takes-all, take-no-prisoners battle to criminalize the MAGA movement and right-wing populism? And does it lead to the same chaos?
As Poland faces a constitutional crisis, French riots roll into their third week, and Brazilian opposition leaders leave the country, the Free World has become a tinderbox — and the left has shown that they're eager to light it.
THE EXECUTIVE
President Donald Trump held rallies in Kansas and Iowa yesterday.
Trump will give his closing message ahead of Tuesday's election at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Iran War May Reach Fever Pitch After The Midterms
With the Iran War reportedly costing the average American household $2,000, it's been a big thorn in Republicans' side this election cycle. However, there are some signs that it's not going to get yanked out anytime soon.
The bullet point list makers at Axios reported Sunday that President Trump had a "candid" phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday in which Netanyahu urged Trump to strike Iran immediately after the midterm elections. That would be Nov. 4, just six days before the new Knesset is expected to be sworn in. Netanyahu's hold on power remains uncertain after he did not secure enough votes to put together a winning coalition in Israel's parliamentary election last week. Should his chief opponent Gadi Eisenkot put together a coalition, it would usher in an official inquiry into why the Netanyahu government did not anticipate the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
"We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump said earlier this month. He may target Pickaxe Mountain, but there is uncertainty over whether even powerful American bunker busters could sufficiently penetrate it.
In return, Iran has promised attacks on US ships, on underwater internet cables, and on critical energy facilities of Gulf allies.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been hospitalized after experiencing a stroke. The 53-year-old is expected to make a full recovery, his team says. https://t.co/4OAyAf6Qc9
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 1, 2026
Murphy said that he was barred from observing the damage at the U.S. base in Qatar or from speaking to Pentagon officials there. Murphy sits on the subcommittee that oversees defense spending.
Critics like former counterintelligence official Joe Kent have proposed that Trump simply declare victory and extricate himself.
Meanwhile Vice President Vance sent a letter to Iran's national security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, asking about restarting negotiations.
Yet Trump seems to be indicating a willingness to target civilians, just as Murphy indicated: "I could have won the Vietnam War in a week … Agent Orange, they drop it in the forests for years and years and years instead of going after Ho Chi Minh City."
THE LEGISLATIVE
Both chambers of Congress are scheduled to return from recess on Nov. 9. Until then, Republicans are fighting to defend their majorities on the campaign trail. Democrats only need to net three seats in the House and four seats in the Senate to wrest control of Capitol Hill.
The Cook Political Report's Friday forecast paints a bleak picture for Republicans. Democrats appear ahead in 16 Republican-held House seats. Meanwhile, six Republican-held Senate seats appear to be "toss-ups" and one is rated as a "likely" Democrat gain.
Speaker Mike Johnson, however, told Fox News last Monday that polls have been "even further off this time because more and more Republicans are unwilling to participate in these surveys."
"They don't want to give their information to someone on the phone," Johnson continued. "They're calling it the partisan nonresponse bias."
Subpoena Tsunami
A blue wave would usher in a subpoena tsunami in the Congress and Democrats can't help but spill some of their priorities.
Slotkin has named a handful of "signature cases" that a Democrat-controlled Senate could prosecute: former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's taxpayer-supported television ads, Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's contract for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's promise to investigate Slotkin for advocating for insurrection.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has promised an expansion of his investigation into the White House ballroom.
And Rep. Ro Khanna wants a rather broad Truth and Accountability Commission to investigate not just the Iran War but also DOGE's government cost cutting and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations, invoking the language of "transitional justice" usually reserved for history's bloodiest atrocities like Pinochet's dictatorship in Chile. Does asking government employees to describe what they do all day constitute a crime against humanity?
Then again, why stop there? The American Constitution Society, a Big Law-supported counterpart to the Federalist Society, wants Democrats to go bigger, proposing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for people to air grievances about "the history of America" that would usher in sweeping changes to our institutions.
Michigan Democrats Divided Over Everybody's Favorite Topic
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost to Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during the August primary, endorsed Republican nominee Mike Rogers yesterday.
"I don't belong in Abdul's campaign," Stevens said. "I do not stand with Hasan Piker who gets trafficked on our college campuses. A dear friend of mine earlier today was saying that education is on the ballot — and she's absolutely right. And what our students see, what our children see, and who we are as Michiganders is not hate. And is not what we're getting out from our Democratic nominee right now."
I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today. pic.twitter.com/pQgfSBuhOJ
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) November 1, 2026
This came in response to El-Sayed's campaign telling Stevens to stay away from its events following a feud between the two over an ad by Rebellion PAC, where a woman claimed she couldn't afford eggs because she had to set aside tax money for "killing Palestinians."
Rebellion PAC is owned by "The Young Turks" co-founder Cenk Uygur, the uncle of far-left streamer Hasan Piker.
Rock n roll. Life is good.
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) December 24, 2014
On the eve of the eve of the eve of our BIG and important election, a unifying moment has arrived, our democratic nominee for U.S Senate disavows the Rebellion PAC ad made by Hasan Piker’s uncle that claims Jews are responsible for America’s economic woes. We have learned from… pic.twitter.com/y8BRiV9odX
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) October 30, 2026
"Our campaign is and has always been focused on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing: Skyrocketing gas prices, unaffordable groceries, and the inability to see a doctor," El-Sayed wrote. "That focus is why our people-powered campaign defeated a historic $70M in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee] on behalf of Congresswoman Stevens."
🚨NEW from @DropSiteNews: Mike Rogers Campaign Spokesperson Is a Registered Agent for Israel, Documents Show
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) November 1, 2026
Abigail Ronson and Jesse Stokes have been working for the government of Israel since May and last October, respectively, while also working on the campaign of Mike Rogers…
HAPPENING NOW: Congresswoman Haley Stevens joins Mike Rogers at church in Detroit this morning.
— Abby Ronson (@abbyronson) November 1, 2026
We have a state to save, Michigan. pic.twitter.com/ZE2HJ1XfHP
"Something snapped in her," said former Gov. Jim Blanchard, who had dinner with Stevens and her fiance on Friday. He said that the fiance, Jason Turkish, was critical of her decision to endorse El-Sayed.
This is a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens.
— Chuck Schumer (@chuckschumer) November 1, 2026
Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors.
"Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors," the New York Democrat wrote.
THE JUDICIARY
Last Monday, we highlighted the lawsuit that the Department of Justice plans to trigger against Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses because of a candidate who shares his name. Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason threw it out yesterday. However, that wasn't the only blow Republicans received from the judiciary ahead of Election Day.
Last-Minute Ruling Slows Trump Admin's Ad Blitz
New York-based U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon ruled for three of the Trump admin's campaign ads to be pulled from the airwaves, The Associated Press (AP) reported Friday.
These included ads titled "$5,000 to Americans," "Every Democrat Voted Against No Tax on Tips," and "Cost of Socialism."
The temporary restraining order came after the watchdog group Common Cause filed a lawsuit aiming to pull thirteen ads that they alleged were on government websites, according to AP.
"This Biden-appointed activist judge issued a lawless order to stop the administration from sharing patriotic videos," White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told AP.
This ruling could deal a blow to the GOP's already disadvantaged ad blitz. Over 70% of respondents POLITICO polled from Oct. 3-5 reported seeing more ads for Democrats than Republicans this election cycle.
State-Level Supreme Court Strikes GOP Mail-In Ballot Lawsuit
The GOP was dealt another blow in the judiciary last Thursday when the Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a ruling that struck the Republican National Committee's lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's guidance on how to read mismatched mail-in ballots, Michigan Advance reported.
The order's lack of a majority opinion prompted backlash from Justice Brian Zahra — the court's lone Republican.
"As Michigan's court of last resort we owe it to the people of Michigan to explain why ballots with mismatched or missing ballot numbers are tabulated when our Legislature has plainly stated that '[i]f the ballot numbers match, the board of election inspectors shall … prepare the ballot for tabulation,'" Zahra wrote.
Michigan is among the 24 states with state-level supreme court elections this year, according to Ballotpedia, with six candidates competing for two out of the court's seven seats.
MISCELLANEOUS The Not-So-Democratic Party
If Democrats seize control of Congress this Tuesday, government officials may not be the only ones facing their wrath, but private citizens too. One likely target is Elon Musk, who The New York Times reported spent over $276 million on the midterm elections.
Conservative-leaning comedian Tim Dillon predicted on his show last Saturday that Musk may flee the United States after his work as DOGE's mastermind coupled with his substantial campaign contributions to Republicans painted a target on his back.
"He might leave the country. You might start seeing that now," Dillon said. "And this is when you know things are getting really interesting is, like, some of these guys that go really hard for one party and then fund that party, get that party elected, and then run around the government playing president for a few months — which is what that guy did — they might just have to skedaddle when the next party comes in."
Multiple Democrats in Congress are already gearing up to investigate Musk over his five-month foray at DOGE, POLITICO reported Oct. 20. These include (but aren't limited to) Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Greg Meeks, who are ranking members on their respective committees.
We saw a similar situation in Brazil, when Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro fled to Miami after losing to left-wing Brazilian President Lula da Silva on Oct. 25. Both Lula and Bolsonaro's father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, were previously arrested by Brazil's government.
Citing Brazil as an example, Dillon warned that this is "how states fail."
"So, once the two parties start imprisoning each other — and they're not really parties as we understand them, they're just factions or power factions — and one has the upper hand and starts imprisoning the other one, it goes back and forth until one party holds power and maintains it and says, 'F*** it. I'm not leaving because if I leave, I'm going to jail,'" Dillon continued. "And that's how you slide into like a fascistic situation or a communist situation [sic]."
Musk himself expressed a similar concern on X last Friday, warning that if Democrats make a "clean sweep" of Congress and the Presidency, they'll expand their majority by granting DC and Puerto Rico statehood, open our borders to mass migration, and pack the Supreme Court.
My biggest concern is that if there is a clean sweep by Democrats of the House, Senate and Presidency in 2028, they will:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2026
1. Make DC and Puerto Rico states to gain a strong majority in the Senate.
2. Open the borders and legalize everyone living in America illegally to cement…
"This would result in America becoming a permanent one-party state and the end of democracy in any meaningful sense of the word," Musk wrote.
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