Other liberal commentators have recently suggested that the GOP are rigging the midterms after previously rigging the presidential election
Former CNN commentator Angela Rye said she believes former President Donald Trump and Republicans “cheated” to win the 2024 election — and warned they could do it again in the upcoming 2026 midterms.
Speaking on her podcast Native Land Pod on Friday, Rye expressed deep skepticism about the integrity of the electoral process, saying she had a “gut feeling” the 2024 race wasn’t legitimate.
“I don’t have data. I got a gut feeling,” Rye said. “But I’m going to tell you about the Black woman and the Holy Ghost — we be spot on.”
Rye’s comments came during a conversation with her podcast co-host and former MSNBC host Tiffany Cross, who echoed concerns about the upcoming elections, though she stopped short of directly calling the 2024 race “stolen.”
Doubts Over Midterms and Democracy
Cross agreed with Rye’s sentiment that faith in the electoral process is dwindling, saying she saw little reason to be hopeful about the 2026 midterms.
“Even if they did [cheat], okay it’s here now,” Cross said. “Like they’re not going to say ‘takesies backsies, we stole it.’ They’ve already instituted this authoritarian regime. I don’t know any post-industrialized country that’s come this far into authoritarianism and turned around.”
She added that, for many Americans — particularly women and people of color — the idea of “free and fair” elections has always been a myth.
“So why do we think in 480 days we’re suddenly going to have a better chance at democracy?” she said.
Broader Progressive Warnings
Rye and Cross are the latest among a growing number of liberal voices suggesting the 2026 midterms may already be compromised. In recent weeks, progressive figures including Joy Reid, James Carville, Charlemagne Tha God, Don Lemon, and Kathy Griffin have all raised alarms about what they claim are threats to the democratic process.
On Wajahat Ali’s Substack, Reid said, “Whenever Democrats say to me, ‘this is why we need to unite for 2026,’ I always respond, ‘Yeah, assuming we even have free and fair elections.’”
Charlemagne echoed that concern, calling recent legislative efforts and political moves signs that the GOP was laying the groundwork to “fix” future elections, including 2026 and 2028.
Pushback from Within the Left
Despite the rising doubts, some Democrats are urging voters not to give up on the system. Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum argued that it’s still important to participate in elections and push for reform from within.
“You don’t just walk away because you don’t like the outcome,” he said. “You fight to make the system better.”
Elections Under Scrutiny
Rye’s claims, while based on instinct rather than evidence, reflect a larger shift among some left-wing commentators who now question the legitimacy of U.S. elections — a narrative that mirrors, in reverse, Trump allies’ past challenges to Democratic wins.
As the 2026 midterms approach, debates over election integrity appear to be intensifying on both sides of the aisle — with each accusing the other of undermining democracy.
