On the October 19, 2026, episode of The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW, Maddow spoke as though Democrats taking control of Congress in November was a foregone conclusion.
She portrayed Republicans and people associated with the Trump administration as already knowing they were headed for defeat and lawyering up in preparation for the consequences.
Maddow then said this:
“And I gotta say, at the White House, it’s not even like they seem to be trying to turn it around. I mean, maybe Trump only cares about what happens to him and doesn’t care about what happens to his party or anything else around him. But, I mean, what’s Trump doing to try to stem the losses for his party in November? What’s Trump doing right now? Well, he’s finally just fully going for it with Vladimir Putin.”
Does she really not know?
I don’t understand how she could say something so ignorant when President Trump has been on a near-daily rally blitz across the country campaigning for Republicans.
He’s been holding events, endorsing candidates, promoting his administration’s policies, and repeatedly telling supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” so turnout matches presidential-year levels.
On October 16, Trump held a rally in Dalton, Georgia, supporting Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins and gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson.
The following day, he had a campaign event in Highland Heights, Kentucky, supporting Republican House candidate Ed Gallrein and other GOP candidates in the area.
And on October 19, the very night Maddow questioned what Trump was doing to help Republicans, he was holding a packed campaign rally in Park City, Kansas, stumping for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson. He urged voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” to help Republicans win in November.
His schedule continues with rallies in Greenville, North Carolina (October 20), Clemson/Pendleton, South Carolina (October 21), Sioux City, Iowa (October 22), Fort Myers, Florida (October 23), Macon, Georgia (October 24), and more stops after that.
I don’t know who’s more ignorant and misinformed—Maddow or her viewers.