The Blue Tidal Wave: 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Post-Mortem w/ Ben Burgis

👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by longtime friend of the show Ben Burgis, host of Give Them an Argument, to break down the 2026 US midterm elections and what could prove to be a historic repudiation of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Dubbed a "blue tidal wave," the election saw Democrats flip major seats in traditionally Republican territory, including Texas and Kansas, while Florida Democrat Angie Nixon came remarkably close to victory. Meanwhile, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the broader progressive left celebrated significant gains, including Abdul El-Sayed's Senate victory in Michigan and five DSA candidates reportedly winning seats in the House. But what does this electoral success actually mean for the future of American politics? Ben and J.G. discuss the growing influence of Bernie Sanders-style economic populism, Medicare for All, working-class politics, and the struggle between the Democratic Party's progressive and establishment wings. They also examine Zohran Mamdani's record as mayor of New York City, his embrace of municipal socialism and the sewer socialist tradition, and the strategic questions facing the DSA as it looks to expand beyond traditionally safe Democratic districts. The conversation also examines the political fallout from Trump's war with Iran, which emerged as a major liability for Republicans. With polling indicating widespread opposition to the war, rising energy prices, and growing skepticism toward US support for Israel, Burgis and J.G. discuss the administration's shifting justifications for military intervention and the striking absence of the kind of public propaganda campaign that preceded the Iraq War. Other topics include the Trump administration's authoritarianism and ongoing constitutional crisis, the future of the Republican Party after Trump, the possibility of a post-Trump right led by figures like Tucker Carlson, and why Democrats shouldn't mistake an electoral rebuke of Trump for an enduring political realignment. Is this the beginning of a new era for the American left, or another turn in the cycle of Republican overreach and Democratic complacency? And will the Democratic establishment actually do anything with this historic opportunity? Plus: Ben recounts his surreal election-night experience appearing on Patrick Bet-David's Valuetainment coverage of the midterms and getting into an on-air argument with Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, over claims that Lula stole Brazil's election.