November 4, 2026 — Political Pendulum’s Swing
Check out today’s blog post by IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack
By IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer
Image: wylienews.com
Nail biting? Edge of the seat drama? Relaxing confidently? November 3 was a dramatic night of real-life political fortunes changing. One of the more interesting quotes the morning after comes from a Texas Republican lobbyist saying, “It’s on him. It’s not on anybody else” in reference to Trump. ‘This is a disaster’: Angry Republicans blame Trump for midterms defeat. This is an interesting observation in view of the fact that every elected Republican in the House and Senate and every Republican cabinet member had opportunities daily to provide counsel to the White House occupant but decided to enable the man-child.
The tidal wave of Democratic victories resulted from political decisions made by Republicans. Those “R” congressional members went along with White House decisions to gut social safety net programs. They went along meekly as we created global chaos with tariffs. They barely objected to the Iran war. Few Republicans pushed back as the administration threatened NATO and our allies and were feckless in attempts to rein in Trump regarding war powers. The “R” controlled senate approved one after another of Trump’s incompetent and inexperienced choices for cabinet positions that have resulted in government departments unable to fulfill their missions to serve the U.S. public.
It is completely inaccurate to place all the blame on Trump though that is very tempting. Far too many elected GOP members abdicated their responsibility to the country in exchange for self-promotion, self-enrichment and personal power and position. They stood aside and remained silent as they watched Trump do things that they should’ve challenged or voted against. They lost because so many were facilitators and complicit.
While Democrats may wish to gloat over the overwhelming victories that will put them in the majority in both chambers of congress, they will be challenged. How will a democratically controlled congress lower gas and diesel prices? Will they be able to shore up programs that acted as safety nets for those in need of food and other assistance? How will healthcare costs be lowered and brought under control? Can they control the purse in such a way that it forces federal agencies to do their intended jobs?
The new majority cannot spend all their time and energy investigating the administration. It must have a strategy that puts legislation in front of Trump for him to veto Democratic attempts to improve the lives of all Americans, not just those in red states.
Ultimately, the new majority must show us that it has the people’s interest at the core of its work if it wants to retain this majority through the next election. And, as we know, the campaigning for 2028 will begin almost immediately after the new year begins (or has it already with JD Vances comments). The midterms are over, but if the United States wants to show the world that it is still a beacon of global democratic leadership, there is much work to be done to allay the questions and fears our friends and allies abroad may have.
Given the results of U.S. elections since 2016, it is not a “given” that the November 3, 2026 results reflect a return to what we once were. The pendulum is swinging radically back and forth. The U.S. electorate is subject to wild swings in both directions.
About Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.
Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights;the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.
Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.
In 2023, the first book in his China series hit bookstores: The China Connection.
In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.
Now available: The China Dilemma!
