Politics

Shadows Over the Ballot Box: Election Integrity Fears Rise Ahead of 2026 Midterms

Published

4 months ago

November 27, 2025

VORNews

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the last balloons from the 2024 presidential election are swept away and President Donald Trump settles into his second term, old anxieties are rushing back to center stage. The memory of past election fights hangs over Washington like a storm cloud.

With the 2026 midterm election less than a year away, talk of fraud, federal pressure, and voting machine problems has grown louder, pushing policy debates on tariffs, immigration, and the economy into the background. This time, many leaders say the stakes feel almost existential, not only for control of Congress, but for public confidence in American democracy itself.

On November 3, 2026, all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats will be on the ballot. Republicans hold a narrow 219-213 edge in the House and a more comfortable 53-47 majority in the Senate. History tilts against the party in power. Since World War II, the president’s party has lost House seats in all but two midterm elections.

Researchers at the Brookings Institution and political scientists at LSE are already warning Republicans about major losses. Some models project a net loss of up to 28 House seats for the GOP, enough to hand Democrats the gavel and choke off much of Trump’s agenda. Underneath those forecasts sits a more troubling story, a growing wave of election integrity battles that could turn 2026 into a drawn-out legal and political fight.

From Trump’s muscular use of executive power to a new surge in voter ID laws and the ongoing suspicion aimed at Dominion voting machines, many experts see the 2026 cycle becoming less about policy and more about whether the election process itself can be trusted.

“We’re heading toward an election where trust is in short supply,” says Derek Tisler, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. “And the current administration keeps reaching for tools that chip away at it.”

Trump’s Shadow War: Federal Muscle on State Election Systems

No single figure looms over the 2026 midterms more than Trump. His return to the Oval Office has fueled a sweeping federal push against what the White House calls election weaknesses. In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi to apply “election integrity laws” with far greater force. The order included demands for detailed voter roll data from at least 19 states.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, now led by longtime Trump ally Harmeet Dhillon, has followed through with a wave of subpoenas. The department has demanded registration records from Democratic strongholds such as California and New Jersey, pointing to supposed noncitizen voting. Courts and researchers have repeatedly rejected those claims as exaggerated or false, but the investigations continue.

Critics call the effort political pressure dressed up as oversight. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat now running for governor, says the administration is targeting those who run elections instead of protecting the people who vote.

“The federal government is going after election officials, not guarding voters,” Bellows told Politico. “We know how to run secure elections, but that works only if states stay in charge.”

Her warning mirrors a broader concern among those on the front lines. A 2025 survey from the Brennan Center reported that 59% of local election officials fear political interference. About 21% said they are unlikely to stay in their jobs through 2026 because of threats, stress, or plans to leave.

New appointees in key posts have deepened those worries. Heather Honey, a Pennsylvania activist who spread false claims of fraud after the 2020 election, is now deputy assistant secretary for election integrity at the Department of Homeland Security. Marci McCarthy, the former DeKalb County, Georgia, GOP chair who filed suit over alleged voting machine problems, now serves as a spokesperson for CISA, the cybersecurity agency once seen as a firewall against foreign election meddling.

Axios reported in June 2025 that about one-third of the U.S. cyber workforce has left federal service since Trump returned to office. That loss of talent has hollowed out defenses just as Russian and Chinese hackers probe for fresh vulnerabilities.

Trump’s decision to pardon Rudy Giuliani and other 2020 election deniers also sends a strong signal. Many analysts read it as a green light for those same figures to move into roles as poll watchers and election challengers in 2026.

In October 2025, DOJ observers appeared at special elections in California and New Jersey. Governor Gavin Newsom blasted the move as a “preview of 2026,” calling it a trial run for efforts to contest Democratic wins in newly drawn districts, including those reshaped under California’s Proposition 50.

Samantha Tarazi of the Voting Rights Lab warns that the country could face what she calls a full-scale federal effort to control the process, from overhauling citizenship databases to positioning National Guard units in precincts labeled as “disputed.” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon compares the level of preparation needed for emergency planning for a major hurricane.

Supporters of the administration’s approach tell a different story. White House spokesman Harrison Fields calls the steps “commonsense safeguards” that strengthen confidence. Yet Trump’s August 2025 promise to “end mail-in ballots” through executive action, blocked so far by the courts, blurs the line between protection and suppression.

One Republican strategist, speaking anonymously to CNN, put it this way: “This is about winning, not whining, but voters might turn on us if the whole thing looks like sour grapes.”

Voter ID’s Big Moment: Security Measure or Turnout Trap?

While the federal government escalates its actions, many states are tightening voter ID rules that could shape who actually casts a ballot in 2026. By August 2025, 36 states had some form of voter ID requirement for in-person voting, up from 28 in 2020.

Since then, eight states have passed new laws: Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming. Together, those changes affect about 29 million adults. The impact will be felt especially in battleground states such as North Carolina, where a 2023 law requiring photo ID took effect in 2024.

Supporters celebrate these measures as common-sense guardrails against fraud. “Clean voter rolls and basic safeguards are key to fair elections,” Dhillon said in a statement in July 2025. Louisiana passed a 2024 law that took effect in January 2025 and now requires proof of citizenship documents to complete state registration forms, a standard that lawmakers in 47 other states echoed in bills introduced in 2025. Nebraska’s LB 514 law forces mail-in voters who lack a state ID to send in copies of photo identification, a step that can be hard for older and rural voters.

The evidence of large-scale fraud remains thin. A June 2024 Brennan Center report estimated that about 21.3 million eligible voters, or 9%, lack easy access to citizenship documents. The study found that these burdens fall more heavily on voters of color and low-income communities.

Scholars at Harvard calculated that the cost of gathering the paperwork often exceeds $12 per person, roughly the same as the poll tax banned by the 24th Amendment and civil rights laws in the 1960s.

At the same time, recent elections complicate the narrative. In 2024, Kamala Harris carried six states that require voter ID, undercutting blanket claims that such laws always favor Republicans. Reuters fact checks have pointed out that ID rules can cut both ways, depending on how they are written and enforced.

Looking ahead to 2026, the federal SAVE Act hangs in the background. The House passed the bill in July 2024, but it stalled in the Senate. The proposal would require Real ID-level proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. With Trump’s Justice Department carrying out its own citizenship checks and investigations, Democrats warn of what Tarazi calls a “death by a thousand cuts” approach that slowly narrows the electorate.

Mindy Romero of USC says the impact of these laws goes beyond who has an ID card. She points to longer lines at polling places, more provisional ballots that may not be counted, and lower turnout in busy urban precincts. Even small shifts in participation could decide tight races, from a Pennsylvania Senate contest to close House districts in Virginia.

Yet not all the data cuts against these laws. In North Carolina, the photo ID requirement survived court challenges and now appears to have boosted Republican votes in lower-turnout elections, according to figures compiled by NCSL. And with about 98% of votes in 2024 backed by paper records, proponents say ID rules paired with audits can strengthen confidence among skeptical voters.

Dominion’s Ghost: Machines, Myths, and a High-Profile Makeover

No brand name in voting technology stirs more emotion than Dominion Voting Systems. The company, founded in Canada, provided machines in 27 states in 2024 and counted billions of ballots without any confirmed evidence of fraud. Even so, false claims from 2020 that Dominion machines “flipped” votes from Trump to Biden have lived on in political circles and online.

Those conspiracy theories carried a real price. In 2023, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787 million to settle a defamation suit over false statements about the company. Newsmax followed in August 2025, settling for $67 million.

The story took a new turn in October 2025, when Dominion was sold to Liberty Vote, a company led by former Missouri Republican official Scott Leiendecker of KnowInk. Liberty has promised a “top-to-bottom review” of existing equipment and pledged to “rebuild or retire” any hardware seen as vulnerable before the midterms.

In Colorado, where Dominion is headquartered and serves 60 counties, several local officials welcomed the change. Boulder County Clerk Molly Fitzpatrick called the sale an opportunity to reset public perception. “These are the same machines, but people may feel different with a new company name,” she said.

Doubts remain strong in other places. Georgia has continued to use Dominion machines that have not received full software updates since 2023, when researcher J. Alex Halderman showed in court filings how someone with access could alter votes using tools as simple as a USB drive. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has dismissed those scenarios as “theoretical,” but the real-world breach in Coffee County in 2021, where Trump allies gained unauthorized access to voting systems, showed that physical security can fail.

Michigan had its own headache in October 2024. A glitch with the VAT system there forced voters who chose a straight-party ticket to manually re-select certain candidates. The issue did not alter vote totals, but the confusing experience fueled viral rumors of “vote switching,” even after officials explained that the problem involved the ballot interface, not the count.

Elon Musk and a wave of MAGA-aligned influencers intensified those worries on X, calling for state officials to ditch Dominion and similar systems outright. They pushed those demands even though about 98% of ballots now generate a paper record that independent audits can review. In Puerto Rico, reports of machine problems sparked a formal review of contracts with voting vendors.

For 2026, Liberty Vote’s leadership and Republican roots create a complicated picture. Some conservatives say it helps them trust the machines more. Many Democrats argue the opposite and see the sale as a partisan takeover. As one NPR analysis put it, marketing changes cannot erase conspiracy theories when layers of audits have already confirmed accurate results.

Midterm Outlook: House on a Knife Edge, Senate Less Likely to Flip

Early forecasts lean toward a Democratic gain. A November 2025 YouGov poll gave Democrats a 46% to 40% lead on the generic House ballot, with 41% of respondents saying they expect Democrats to win a House majority. Economic models published by The Conversation project that slowing growth, which many voters blame on Republican policy, could cost the GOP about 28 House seats.

Political scientists Tien and Lewis-Beck at LSE reach similar conclusions. Their work ties expected Republican losses to Trump’s job approval numbers, which have dipped below 45% in most national surveys.

The Senate map looks more stubborn. Democrats defend seats in Maine and North Carolina, while Republicans are on defense in Iowa and Texas. Even a strong Democratic wave might only be enough to shift a seat or two. Simulations from Race to the WH suggest Democrats could flip the House with three or four tight wins, while the Senate likely ends in a narrow split, with either party holding a slim edge.

Plenty of wildcards could scramble these predictions. Government shutdowns, new abortion battles, or a foreign crisis could change turnout patterns and voter mood in a hurry. Redistricting lawsuits in states such as Texas and Ohio, flagged by Brookings analysts, may alter the map yet again. Trump’s comments about using the military at the border and in domestic protests hang in the background as well.

Protecting the Vote: A Shared Responsibility, Whether Washington Acts or Not

Election threats now come from many directions, from bomb threats to deepfake videos to organized harassment of poll workers. Some states have not waited for Washington to act. Colorado has made risk-limiting audits standard practice, following a model laid out in a joint Brennan Center and R Street report. These audits check a sample of ballots against machine counts to confirm accuracy.

The Election Assistance Commission’s budget for fiscal year 2026 shifts more money toward transparency tools and public-facing information, though it does not include new, large grants to states. Advocates across party lines say that is not enough.

Former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican, has pushed for more consistent funding and training. “If officials put in the work now, they avoid disaster later,” he says. “Waiting until something breaks is a bad plan.”

With Trump’s political machine in full swing and partisan suspicion running hot, the 2026 midterms will test how much stress the system can handle. The country heard nonstop claims in 2020 that it had just held the “most secure election” in history. The coming cycle will show whether that level of confidence can hold, or whether new fights over rules, machines, and federal power break it apart again.

As Tisler puts it, “Voters will forgive leaders who prepare. They won’t forgive leaders who freeze.” In a capital already bracing for the next storm, that may be the only outcome both parties truly fear.

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Russia Tells Iran Scale Back Hostilities Toward the United States

Published

11 hours ago

March 25, 2026

VORNews

Russia Tells Iran Scale Back Hostilities

MOSCOW – Russia has publicly urged Iran to stop military action at once and move toward negotiations in its war with the United States and Israel. Kremlin officials said the region is now “catastrophically tense” and warned that more fighting could make the crisis much worse.

The statement comes as Washington and Tehran send mixed messages about possible talks. U.S. President Donald Trump says discussions have been productive, while Iranian officials say no direct contact has taken place. Since the war began on February 28, 2026, it has shaken oil markets and raised fears of a broader conflict across the region.

How the Iran War Started

The conflict began when U.S. and Israeli forces carried out surprise airstrikes on Iranian targets. Those strikes hit military bases, nuclear sites, and leadership compounds. Reports said the goal was to slow Iran’s nuclear work and ballistic missile program. Senior Iranian figures were killed, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran answered with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities and on U.S. allies in the region. It also moved to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil routes. As a result, energy prices jumped and global shipping faced major delays.

Main trigger: U.S. and Israeli strikes launched on February 28, 2026.
Iran’s response: Missile attacks, strikes on regional bases, and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Casualties: Reports suggest thousands have been killed or hurt on both sides, including civilians in Tehran and other cities.
Economic impact: Oil prices surged, and shipping in the Persian Gulf was disrupted.

Satellite images have underlined the importance of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has blocked major shipping lanes and affected roughly one-fifth of global petroleum trade.

Russia Issues a Sharp Warning

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a call requested by Tehran. During that conversation, Lavrov pressed for an immediate end to the fighting and called for a political and diplomatic solution that protects the legitimate interests of all sides, especially Iran.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated that message during a briefing.

“The situation should have transitioned to a political and diplomatic settlement. This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to defusing the catastrophically tense situation that has now developed in the region.”

Peskov also said diplomacy should have begun “yesterday” if the goal was to stop the crisis from getting worse.

Russia has another major concern, Bushehr nuclear power plant, which it helped build in Iran. Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog said a projectile struck near the facility. Because of that, Moscow has spoken out strongly about the danger of attacks near nuclear infrastructure.

“We consider strikes on nuclear facilities to be potentially extremely dangerous and fraught with, perhaps even irreversible, consequences.”

Peskov said continued strikes near such sites create a very serious security risk.

The Bushehr plant, built with Russian support, has become a key flashpoint as fears grow over possible radiation hazards.

Trump’s Claims Clash With Iran’s Denials

President Trump has sounded hopeful in recent days. He said the United States and Iran had “very good and productive conversations” focused on a “complete and total resolution of our hostilities.” He also delayed threatened strikes on Iranian energy sites and pushed back an ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said his administration had made meaningful progress and had reached common ground on several issues. He even hinted at political change inside Iran. Still, Iranian officials have flatly denied that any direct talks have taken place. Some in Tehran have called those claims “fake news” or an attempt to sway markets.

Trump’s moves: Paused strikes on power-related targets and held off attacks on energy infrastructure.
Iran’s position: No direct talks confirmed, while missile retaliation continues.
Current fighting: Strikes on Tehran and Iranian missile attacks have continued despite talk of diplomacy.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken about the Iran war, mixing military pressure with public calls for a deal.

Why Russia’s Role Matters

Russia remains one of Iran’s closest partners, with long-running military and technical ties. Even so, Moscow has not stepped directly into the war. It has condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes as “unprovoked aggression,” but at the same time it has pushed hard for de-escalation.

Several factors help explain Russia’s stance:

National interest: More turmoil in the Middle East could send energy markets into further chaos and affect Russia’s own oil trade.
Nuclear fears: Because Russia helped develop Iran’s nuclear program, it worries that damage at Bushehr could trigger an environmental crisis or raise new nuclear risks.
Regional stability: A wider war could pull in more countries and unsettle nearby areas, including the Caspian region, which Russia and Iran also discussed.
Diplomatic influence: Moscow wants to present itself as a stabilizing voice while keeping its ties with Tehran intact.

So far, Russia has not announced any public military support for Iran in this war. Instead, it has focused on calls for a settlement that also protects Iranian interests.

What Could Happen Next

Analysts say the situation remains highly unstable. If the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, the global economy could take a harder hit. At the same time, any direct strike on a nuclear site could trigger severe environmental and public health damage.

Several outcomes are now in play:

Short-term ceasefire talks, likely with outside mediators.
Pressure on Iran to reopen shipping lanes in return for sanctions relief or security promises.
A wider war if talks collapse or more regional actors get involved.

Even with diplomatic channels opening, both sides are still fighting. Reports say U.S. Marines are moving into the Gulf, while Iranian missiles have targeted parts of Israel in recent days.

International Response

United States: The Trump administration says it wants a deal, but it is keeping military options on the table.
Israel: Israeli forces continue to strike Iranian military targets.
Iran: Tehran denies direct talks, though some reports say it may consider “sustainable” proposals.
Global community: Concern is growing over oil prices, civilian deaths, and nuclear safety.

Russia’s warning shows that even a close partnership has limits. It also reflects how urgent the need for de-escalation has become in a region close to a much larger disaster.

As this “catastrophically tense” crisis continues, the next few days may decide whether diplomacy can take hold or whether the war spreads even further, with effects far beyond the Middle East.

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Republicans Gain Ground in California While Businesses Flee Blue States

Published

4 days ago

March 21, 2026

VORNews

California’s 2026 governor race is starting to look very different from what many expected. New polling shows two Republicans at the front of the crowded nonpartisan primary. At the same time, thousands of residents and major employers are leaving the state, along with other blue states, for places with lower taxes and lighter regulation.

Many voters seem worn out by high prices, strict rules, and daily quality-of-life concerns. The trend is hard to miss. Californians are leaving in large numbers, and that frustration now appears to be shaping the early race for governor.

Poll Surprise: Republicans Move to the Front in the Primary

California’s June 2026 primary follows the state’s top-two system. The two highest vote-getters move on to November, no matter what party they belong to.

Recent surveys point to a close but meaningful contest. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released this week showed conservative commentator Steve Hilton at 17 percent and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 16 percent. Several Democrats followed behind them, including Congressman Eric Swalwell at 13 to 14 percent, former Rep. Katie Porter at 13 percent, and activist billionaire Tom Steyer at 10 percent.

Other polling has shown a similar pattern. In February, the Public Policy Institute of California found Hilton and Bianco among the top five candidates, both in double digits. Emerson College polls in recent months also placed Republicans near or at the top, while Democrats split support across several campaigns and many voters stayed undecided, in some cases as high as 25 to 28 percent.

That matters because Republicans almost never lead statewide polls in heavily Democratic California. Still, the Democratic field is crowded, with nine candidates dividing liberal voters. That gives Republican contenders a clear opening. Hilton has centered his campaign on lower costs and pro-business changes. Bianco has focused on public safety and reducing red tape. Both are speaking to voter anger over affordability and regulation.

Why Blue States Are Losing Residents at a Record Pace

California posted a net loss of 229,000 residents to other states between July 2024 and July 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That was the biggest domestic migration loss in the country. New York and Illinois also saw major outflows.

Over the last five years, blue states together lost nearly 3.8 million people through net internal migration. Meanwhile, red and purple states added millions.

Top reasons many Californians give for leaving:
• Very high home prices and rent
• California’s top state income tax rate of 13.3 percent, along with proposed wealth taxes
• Tough business and environmental rules
• Homelessness, crime, and a high overall cost of living
• Better job options in other states

A proposed 2026 “Billionaire Tax” on net worth above $1 billion appears to have added to the rush. Tech executives and investors say the one-time 5 percent levy, applied retroactively to January 1, 2026, pushed many wealthy residents to relocate sooner. Some estimates say $1 trillion to $2 trillion in wealth has already left California, or is preparing to do so.

The same pattern has shown up elsewhere. New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Massachusetts all posted net losses as people moved to states with lower taxes and fewer restrictions.

Companies Are Leaving Too, and the List Keeps Growing

The flow of people out of California mirrors what many businesses are doing. In 2025 alone, several major companies moved out of the state:
• Chevron moved its headquarters to Houston, Texas
• In-N-Out Burger relocated to Tennessee
• John Paul Mitchell Systems moved to Wilmer, Texas
• Public Storage shifted to Texas
• Playboy Enterprises relocated to Miami, Florida

Tesla, SpaceX, and X, formerly Twitter, had already moved under Elon Musk. Oracle left years earlier. Reports show that hundreds of headquarters have exited California since 2017, and the pace appears to be picking up. One analysis found that 3 percent of California businesses relocated out of the state in 2025.

Why companies are leaving:
• High corporate taxes and heavy regulation
• Rising labor and energy costs
• Easier permits and lower taxes in states like Texas and Florida
• Better access to growing markets without the same level of red tape

Texas and Florida led the way in attracting new businesses. Both states have no state income tax, lower overall tax burdens, and policies widely seen as business-friendly. In addition, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Idaho ranked high for inbound moves in 2025 U-Haul and Census data.

How the Exodus Is Affecting the Governor’s Race

Voters are paying attention to the outflow. Polls show affordability is the top issue for nearly two-thirds of likely voters. Because of that, views on taxes, housing, and jobs are shaping support more than party labels in many cases.

Independent voters have split their support between Hilton, Bianco, and the top Democratic candidates. Many say they want a break from the status quo. Bianco has argued that California needs bold new ideas to lower costs and grow jobs, a message that lines up with the frustration behind so many moving trucks heading out of state.

Hilton has made a similar case, saying California must reduce regulations that push employers away. Both Republicans say they want to make the state competitive again. Democrats in the race offer different answers, but they also face pressure to explain why California keeps losing residents after years of Democratic control.

Democrats still have an edge in a general election because of voter registration. Even so, the early Republican lead points to broad dissatisfaction. If one or both Republicans reach November, the race could center on taxes and regulation, the same issues driving many people and businesses to leave blue states.

A Bigger Pattern Across Blue States

California is not alone in dealing with this shift. New York, Illinois, and New Jersey are seeing similar trends. Census data shows that several red states continue to gain residents:
• Texas: +67,000 net domestic migrants
• Florida: +22,000, lower than pandemic highs but still positive
• North Carolina: +84,000, the highest in the nation
• South Carolina, Tennessee, and Idaho also posted strong gains

These states tend to offer lower taxes, fewer rules, cheaper housing, and in many cases stronger public safety. In simple terms, people move to places where they believe life will be easier for their families and better for their businesses.

Economists say this shift is also costing blue states large amounts of tax revenue. California alone has lost tens of billions of dollars in recent years. The pattern has continued into 2026, and fears over new wealth taxes seem to be speeding it up.

What’s Next for California?

The June primary will decide which two candidates move on. Early polling gives Republicans their strongest opening in decades to reach the November ballot. Whether they win or not, the message from voters is getting harder to ignore: high taxes and heavy regulation are pushing people and jobs elsewhere.

Leaders in blue states are now under pressure to respond. They can lower costs and ease rules, or they can watch more residents and employers move to lower-tax states.

For now, the numbers point in the same direction. Republicans are gaining momentum in California’s governor race. The migration data helps explain why. Families and businesses are choosing places with lower taxes and fewer barriers. The 2026 race may show whether California is ready to change course, or keep losing more people and investment.

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CNN Reveals Trump Has a Perfect 100% Approval Rating Among MAGA Voters

Published

4 days ago

March 21, 2026

VORNews

CNN Reveals Says Trump Has a Perfect 100% Approval Rating Among MAGA Voters

ATLANTA. Ga – CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten delivered a headline-making moment this week. During an on-air breakdown, he pointed to a new poll showing President Donald Trump with a full 100 percent approval rating among voters who call themselves MAGA. Not one person in that group said they disapproved.

That goes beyond strong support. It’s total support. And it comes while critics have argued that Trump’s coalition is starting to crack over the war in Iran.

Enten, known for his blunt and data-driven style, said the numbers were the kind that “jump off the screen.” Since then, the clip has spread widely online. Supporters praised it, while critics argued over how much the result really tells us.

Harry Enten’s CNN Breakdown: “You Can’t Go Higher Than 100%”

On Wednesday’s episode of CNN News Central, Enten joined the show to discuss Trump’s current standing. The segment centered on whether there was any real split inside MAGA. Some critics had pointed to people like Tucker Carlson, who has attacked Trump’s military moves in Iran.

Enten pushed back quickly, using fresh numbers from an NBC News poll.

“Sometimes you look at the polling data and there are numbers that just jump off the screen at you, and this is one of those,” Enten said.

He then showed the chart on air. The numbers were simple: among MAGA Republicans, Trump’s approval stood at 100 percent, while disapproval stood at 0 percent.

“You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to know you can’t go higher than 100%,” Enten said with a smile. “He is the 1972 Miami Dolphins.”

That comparison landed hard. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are still the only undefeated team in NFL history, finishing 17-0 and winning the Super Bowl. Enten used that image to make one point clear, Trump’s bond with his core supporters remains as strong as ever.

CNN anchor Sara Sidner summed it up in one line: “MAGA has the floor.” Enten answered right away, “MAGA has the floor, 100%.”

What the NBC News Poll Found

The poll came from Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies and surveyed about 1,000 registered voters. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 points. Even so, the MAGA subgroup drew the most attention because of how one-sided the result was.

Here are the key findings:

100% of self-identified MAGA voters approve of President Trump
0% disapprove of President Trump among MAGA supporters
90% of MAGA voters approve of U.S. strikes on Iran
Only 5% disapprove of the Iran action within the MAGA group
30% of Americans now identify as MAGA, up from 28% right after the 2024 election

Enten stressed a key point during the segment. Some Republicans may disapprove of Trump, but he said those voters are not part of the MAGA movement. His takeaway was direct: if someone identifies as MAGA, that person approves of Trump.

The MAGA Base Is Growing, Not Fading

A lot of political observers expected MAGA support to cool off after the election. Enten argued the data shows the opposite.

The share of Americans who say they are MAGA has inched up to 30 percent. That’s a modest gain from 28 percent in November 2024. So, according to Enten, Trump’s 100 percent approval with MAGA is not happening because the group got smaller or more isolated.

“That 100% that Donald Trump has among MAGA GOP, that is not an artifact of MAGA shrinking,” he said. “It’s just an indication of how strong Donald Trump’s grip is on that MAGA base.”

In other words, the group is still large and has even grown a bit. That cuts against recent claims that internal fights over Iran, immigration, and other issues are pulling the movement apart.

No Sign of a MAGA Break Over Iran

The timing makes the poll stand out even more. The U.S. military operation in Iran is now in its third week, and concerns over oil prices and a wider conflict have spread.

At the same time, some high-profile figures on the right have spoken out. Tucker Carlson called the campaign “absolutely disgusting and evil.” Other conservative voices have raised doubts as well. Because of that, many expected Trump’s support among his own voters to soften.

Enten rejected that idea. The segment itself carried the line, “Tucker Carlson be darned.”

He also pointed out that Trump had dismissed Carlson by saying he “is not MAGA.” The poll numbers appear to support that argument. Even under pressure, the self-identified MAGA base remains firmly behind Trump.

Outside that group, the picture looks very different. A Quinnipiac poll from March 9 found that 57 percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of Iran. Still, among MAGA voters, support remains nearly complete.

What 100% Approval Means for Trump’s Second Term

That kind of loyalty could matter a lot as Trump heads deeper into his second term and Republicans prepare for the 2026 midterms.

A united base can help in a few major ways:

It can boost turnout in key races
It can reduce the risk of right-wing primary challenges
It can give Trump more freedom to push major policies

The 90 percent support for strikes on Iran inside MAGA also suggests Trump has room to act on foreign policy without losing his core supporters. Enten highlighted that number as another sign that the base is staying with him.

Still, Trump’s broader national numbers are weaker. The same NBC poll, along with others, shows trouble on issues like gas prices and the cost of living. Enten has described some of those broader figures as “nightmare stats” for Republicans heading into future elections.

Even so, the MAGA numbers stand apart. They show that the center of Trump’s movement is still fully committed.

Critics Say the Result May Be Obvious

Not everyone treated the 100 percent figure as a shock. Some analysts argued that the finding is almost built into the label itself.

After all, MAGA means “Make America Great Again,” and the slogan has been tied to Trump for years. So, asking self-described MAGA voters whether they approve of Trump may seem a lot like asking loyal fans whether they support their favorite team.

Mediaite and other outlets also noted that the MAGA subgroup is relatively small, around 200 people, which means the margin of error is wider for that slice of the poll. They also pointed out that MAGA identification had reached 36 percent earlier in 2025 before settling back to 30 percent.

Even so, Enten’s point was not that Trump is popular with random voters. His point was narrower. He used the data to challenge the claim that MAGA is breaking apart over Iran.

Trump’s Long Hold on MAGA Supporters

Trump introduced the MAGA slogan in 2015. It quickly became the center of his 2016 campaign and remained a powerful symbol through 2020. Even after leaving office in 2021, the movement stayed active through rallies, online communities, and a deeply loyal following.

His return in 2024 pushed MAGA back into the center of national politics. Now, in his second term, this new poll suggests that the connection between Trump and his core supporters has not weakened.

Enten, who also hosts CNN’s Margins of Error podcast, has followed these trends for years. He often delivers data points that cut across easy political storylines, and this week was another example.

Political Reactions Came Fast

Trump allies and conservative commentators quickly celebrated the clip. Eric Trump shared it online and called it the “nightmare stat” for Trump’s critics. Social media users posted jokes and graphics comparing Trump to the undefeated 1972 Dolphins.

On the left, reactions were mixed. Some dismissed the result as predictable. Others said it showed MAGA is still a serious political force that Democrats cannot afford to ignore.

The story also spread outside the U.S. press. Sky News Australia and other outlets picked it up quickly, pointing out that a CNN analyst had delivered a data point that strongly favored Trump.

No poll result stays fixed forever. The economy, global events, and the outcome of the Iran conflict could still test Trump’s support over time. For now, though, Enten’s message was simple. Among voters who proudly identify as MAGA, Trump has total approval. The number is hard to miss, and on CNN this week, it grabbed everyone’s attention.