Trump's fear of midterm election loss could spark 'Civil War'-like response: expert

Fears of a midterm blowout could push President Donald Trump into a "Civil War"-like response, a political expert has warned.

The president is already pushing ICE agents onto the streets of blue states, which some Democratic Party representatives have denounced. Whether the pressure from Trump and his administration works is yet to be seen, but fears of a midterm loss could push these actions even further, reported the Washington Post.

"Trump has stepped up ICE patrols across the country and deployed or attempted to deploy National Guard troops in several cities run by Democrats," the newspaper reported. "After the Civil War, paramilitary groups and mobs used violence in the South to prevent Black voters from casting ballots, and a century later law enforcement attacked civil rights protesters as they fought segregation."

"Now, the president’s critics fear he could try to ramp up deployments and law enforcement operations in Democratic areas in the lead-up to the 2026 election," the report added.

There is a worry Trump could deploy further ICE personnel in blue states, or even enlist the help of the National Guard. A representative for the National Guard refused to rule out whether deployments would be made this year.

States also have legal precedent to challenge Trump on the deployments. The Post noted, "States would likely sue over any deployments or attempts to seize voting equipment."

"The Supreme Court barred Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago in December, and Trump soon afterward said he was pulling troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon."

It comes as Democratic representatives warn that Trump is acting on "revenge" against blue states. Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) claims the president is overseeing ICE raids in Democratic states and "putting communities at risk" as a result.

Speaking to Politico, Schneider said, "He’s attacking blue states out of revenge. If that’s in the form of sending in ICE, he sends in ICE. If it’s denying food and education to their children, which, to be clear, are America’s children, he’s gonna do that. What he is doing is seeking revenge at the cost of America’s most vulnerable people, putting those communities at risk."