Joy Reid and Jim Acosta - two of Donald Trump's most prominent haters forced into exile by liberal MSNBC and CNN - have now predicted the president will rig the 2026 midterms.
Reid, who was let go by MSNBC in February, said it was foolish for Democrats 'to just assume we're going to have normal elections next year.'
She sees the Republican Party's unification behind Trump's signature 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' as signs that they don't fear being voted out of Congress.
'To me, the fact that Republicans are still voting for the bill tells me that they're not actually worried about being reelected,' Reid told Wajahat Ali on his Substack.
'The way Trump is behaving, he's not acting like somebody who worries that his party will lose power or that even if the party, even if somehow we had normal elections and Democrats took control of either House ... he's not acting like somebody who's worried about the consequences of that.'
She added that Trump's ultimate goal is lifetime rule over the United States.
'I don't think Trump intends to leave office. I'm very clear about that. I think he intends stay in office like Putin till he dies. I think it's going to take an extraordinary movement to get rid of him.'
Acosta - who left CNN in January - was speaking on his own Substack to long-time Democrat operative James Carville when he asked 'The Ragin' Cajun' if he worries about 'vote tampering in the midterms.'
Reid (pictured right), who was let go by MSNBC in February, said it was foolish for Democrats 'to just assume we're going to have normal elections next year'
'Do you worry about Donald Trump and Stephen Miller and some of these types monkeying around with the midterms and the way we do elections in this country?'
The former CNN anchor went on, suggesting they were worried the left would bring about impeachment against Trump again.
'I mean, with what they're trying to pull these days, they don't want accountability. They don't want the Democrats getting the gavels in the House and Senate to be able to hold hearings and start impeachment proceedings.'
Carville answered affirmatively.
Trump has at very least been clear that he does not plan to govern beyond his second term.
Earlier this year, Trump stated emphatically that he will not run for reelection in 2028 after alarming constitutional experts by repeatedly flirting with the idea of a third term.
For the first time the president brushed off those within MAGA circles encouraging him to balk the Constitution and remain in office beyond his eight, nonconsecutive years.
Instead, he listed some potential political heirs for the 2028 presidential election.
Acosta (pictured left), speaking on his own Substack to long-time Democrat operative James Carville (pictured right), asked 'The Ragin' Cajun' if he worries about 'vote tampering in the midterms'
Trump has at very least been clear that he does not plan to govern beyond his second term
Trump directly highlighted rising GOP stars he sees as capable of carrying on the MAGA agenda including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
NBC News anchor Kristen Welker asked the president during the interview that aired on Sunday if he is 'seriously considering' a third term.
'I will say this - so many people want me to do it,' Trump replied. 'I have never had requests so strong as that.'
'But it's something that, to the best of my knowledge, you're not allowed to do,' he conceded. 'I don't know if that's constitutional that they're not allowing you to do it or anything else. But, there are many people selling the 2028 hat.'
Trump then assured the NBC host: 'But this is not something I'm looking to do.'
Trump says he wants to turn over the White House to an heir for the Make America Great Again agenda in 2028.
Multiple polls show Republicans prefer either Vice President Vance or Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr., who has so far expressed little interest in following in his father's footsteps and running for public office.
'I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward,' Trump told Welker in his Meet the Press sit-down interview.
'But I think we're going to have four years, and I think four years is plenty of time to do something really spectacular.'
Welker expressed shock that Trump even cast any doubt over the constitutionality of going for a third term.
'The Constitution does prohibit it,' she said to the president. 'Some of your allies are pretty serious about this, though, Mr. President. And I've spoken to them. They say they are coming up with potential ways, obviously the biggest one would be a constitutional amendment.'
'That's because they like the job I'm doing, and it's a compliment. It's really a great compliment,' Trump said, shrugging of Welker's concerns.
'Many people have said different things,' he continued and reiterated: 'But, I'm not looking at that.'