Election Stress Test: DHS, Executive Orders, and the Midterm Showdown

Election Stress Test: DHS, Executive Orders, and the Midterm Showdown

From All That’s Left Today by Frank Ebersold

February 16, 2026 · 11 min · Episode 609

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential challenges to U.S. democracy during the midterm elections, including misinformation, legal battles, and threats to voting integrity.

This episode warns that the upcoming midterms could become a major "stress test" for U.S. democracy, drawing on election lawyer Mark Elias’s analysis of a predictable pattern: sweeping lies about fraud, court battles, abuses of power, and the threat of violence. It also covers Trump’s talk of executive orders to alter voting rules despite lacking authority, and concerns about a federal force willing to act unlawfully.It then reviews Steve Bannon’s interview with Cleta Mitchell, who advocates restricting voting and emphasizes DHS/CISA’s role in elections and claims of foreign interference. The episode outlines a possible scenario where allegations of hacking or interference could be used to delay certification and challenge results, creating legal and political chaos during the midterms.

People in this episode

Guests: Mark Elias, Cleta Mitchell

Topics covered

  • midterm elections
  • U.S. democracy
  • election fraud
  • executive orders
  • voting rights
  • foreign interference

Keywords

  • DHS
  • CISA
  • Steve Bannon
  • voting rules
  • legal chaos

Mentioned in this episode

Places: U.S.

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