2026 is already insane
The David Pakman Show - January 2, 2026
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The 2026 midterms won’t just be a routine election but rather a critical inflection point in Trump’s second term. If Republicans lose the House, Trump loses real governing power as investigations and checks on his power return. If they keep it, he governs through 2028 and positions himself as a GOP kingmaker.
A longtime right-wing claim about Democrats collapsing the dollar is now becoming real under Trump. The dollar is seeing its largest annual decline in nearly a decade, driven by tariffs, attacks on the Federal Reserve, and foreign policy instability. A weaker dollar raises prices on food, fuel, and imports, directly hitting working and middle class households.
Corporate bankruptcies have jumped to a 15-year high, with more than 700 companies filing this year despite no recession. Tariffs, high interest rates, and lingering inflation are crushing businesses, especially in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and consumer facing sectors. Strong headline numbers are masking real economic stress.
Trump is also losing ground with young men who helped him in 2024. New polling shows Gen Z men breaking away, with Trump’s approval among 18 to 29 year olds down to 32 percent and support shifting toward Democrats. What began as a cultural pull has turned into buyer’s remorse as Trump fails to improve daily life.
Trump’s second term has exposed how weak democratic guardrails really are. Actions that would end a presidency in a healthy democracy have not slowed him down. The system relies on good faith, and once that disappears, accountability becomes optional.
Finally, AI generated political impersonation is already here. Fake videos using cloned faces and voices are spreading faster than corrections and building algorithmic trust. As elections approach, this poses a serious threat to trust in political discourse.
On today’s bonus show:
The 12 most outrageous things Trump did in 2025, and much more...
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Absolutely — 2026 already feels insane. Between economic stress on everyday people, weakening democratic norms, and fake AI political impersonations flooding discourse, this year is shaping up to test the resilience of our politics and our society like never before. We need clear eyes, facts over fear, and a real commitment to accountability. 🇺🇸💥
I have already seen a few AI fake videos of George Conway since his announcement to run for Senate! Be very careful of what you watch these days!