As the Election Nears, War Drags On -- “The Sunday Political Brunch” -- October 11, 2026

You can always tell when an election nears, because the rhetoric heats up so much. That is true in 2026, with some tight, tight races brewing amidst a controversial war and a new key issue surfacing. Let's "brunch" on all that and more this week.

"Death Penalty Debate" – This issue wasn't even on the radar screen two weeks ago, but now it is front and center. First, there was the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, who survived what should have been two lethal injections. And now, the Pentagon plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood murderer Nidal Malik Hasan scheduled for December 3. He killed 13 on that base. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called it transparency, saying, "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public." Elisabeth Semel heads the Death Penalty Clinic at the University of California - Berkeley. She wonders if this is being done to score political points, saying, "This is a president who's about spectacle, and that's, I think, precisely the message that he intends to deliver." Legal challenges are likely. It will be interesting to see what public polling says in these final weeks before Election Day.

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"Did Trump Invite an Attack?" – Some controversial remarks by President Donald Trump are stirring a hornet's nest just weeks before the midterm elections. At a campaign rally in Nebraska, Trump suggested that higher gas prices from the Iran war were worth it to protect us from Iranian attacks on U.S. soil. He said, "It's a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe." He added, "They (Iran) can take out a city. Let 'em take out Los Angeles, let 'em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay." Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) California, a likely presidential candidate in 2028, was not pleased, saying Trump was "deranged and dangerous" for "saying our foreign enemies should 'take out' Los Angeles and San Diego." But White House Communications Director Stephan Cheung said the president was not inviting an attack, saying, "The media freakout over President Trump's comments is not rooted in reality." He added, "He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped. America is safer because of the President."

"More Threats to Trump" – We already know Iran wants to assassinate President Donald Trump, but it is not alone. Three University of South Alabama students in Mobile were arrested in the past week in an alleged assassination plot. According to law enforcement in Alabama, students Amare Woods, Cameron Lewis, and Kayla Smith are accused of making separate threats on TikTok and X days before Trump's Oct. 2 visit to the school. Woods is accused of saying "He (Trump) got to die bro!" On TikTok, Smith is accused of saying, "We only got one chance; let's take it." The post depicted a person in a gun-shooting stance, but with no actual firearm in hand. Lewis is accused of making a threat on X, referencing Utah State University, where conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered. Attorney Jason Darling, who represents suspect Woods, said in a statement that his client's comment was "in poor taste, and with terrible timing." But he added it "was not a threat." The attorney said. "Unfortunately, social media has driven most people to extremes." I am comfortable letting a federal judge and jury decide.

"The Iran War Goes On" – Uncertainty over the war in Iran continues to make energy prices volatile. There were Iranian drone attacks on British tankers this past week. On Wednesday, the average price of foreign oil soared $12 to $101 per barrel before easing. U.S. oil averaged $89 per barrel. But the national average pump price of gasoline rose again to $4.36 per gallon, up from $3.12 a year ago. Diesel fuel is at $6.30 per gallon, down from an all-time high of $6.53 two weeks ago. This may be due to the 100 million barrels of oil and diesel the G7 nations put on the market last week. Meanwhile, President Trump said there would be no new military strikes on Iran until after the midterm elections. As the week ended, President Trump said he made a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for 800,000 tons of diesel fuel, with more after that. Ukraine President Zelensky accused the U.S. of being a sellout. This isn't over!

"TV Ad Battle" – No one is denying it. The Trump White House used $12 million in taxpayer funds to buy TV ads pushing its agenda towards the midterm elections. When called on it, the president said he would use funds from his MAGA Political Action Committee (PAC) to repay the money. But he defended the message of the ads, saying they offered "positive promotion for our Great U.S.A." It isn't over. The Democratic National Committee is suing the White House, saying the ads were propaganda. DNC Chairman Ken Martin said the ads were "a last-ditch attempt to save Republicans in November." He added, "Americans deserve better than to have their hard-earned tax dollars used for Trump's illegal schemes."

"It's 'All in the Family' Texas Style" – It may be one of the most surreal TV political ads I have ever seen. During NFL TV coverage on Sunday, a reelection ad from State Sen. Angela Paxton (R) of Texas aired. She comes on the screen and says, "Let's talk about the elephant in the room. In a general election, it's less about the individual players on the team. It's about getting the whole team across the finish line. Either we hold every Republican seat, or we hand the future of Texas to the other team. That's why I am voting for the Republican ticket on November 3rd. Let's hold the line together." The "elephant in the room" is her estranged husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), Texas, whom she never names. He is the nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. She's endorsing her ex-husband despite evidence he committed adultery several times, and she filed for divorce in 2024. My jaw just dropped! But the seat is in play, with State Rep. James Talarico (D) Texas leading in many polls. This race could determine control of the Senate. The old saying is "politics makes for strange bedfellows." Indeed.

"Alito Speaks Out" – It is unusual for a U.S. Supreme Court justice to grant a media interview. Still, Justice Samuel Alito has just written a new book, so he spoke with the Associated Press. One topic that came up is the withering criticism President Trump has leveled at the court, especially when he's on the losing end of an appeal. From his losses on birthright citizenship and mail-in voting, among others, Trump said, "for shockingly bad rulings that are of such magnitude that it won't be easily possible for our Country to recover or heal." He even criticized the three conservative justices he appointed in his first term, who have sometimes voted against him, saying, "These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court."Justice Alito responded, "I personally am not pleased with that." He added. "Everybody in this country has the right to criticize what we do. The substance of their criticism can be quite harsh. If we deserve it, then that's fine. But rhetoric is a different story." I have lived under every president from Eisenhower to Trump II, and I have never seen anything close to Trump's vitriol.

"Leave it to Leavitt" – It didn't take long for the next career move for former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. As of November 1, she will be a contributor on Fox News. So, it will be fascinating to see her take on what happens in the midterm elections on November 3. Many Republicans in DC are concerned about how President Trump has handled the midterms and the possibility of Democrats regaining control of the House and Senate. Will she be candid in her criticism if she blames Trump? In a statement released by Fox, Leavitt said, "I look forward to bringing my unique perspective from my experience as White House Press Secretary, along with the same energy and candor that defined my tenure, to Fox's millions of viewers across their many platforms."

"The Death of Disgraced Speaker Denny Hastert" – I met House Speaker Denny Hastert (R) Illinois only once. In 2002, I was traveling with my 3rd-grade daughter when we encountered him at a baggage carousel in Washington, DC. It seems United Airlines "lost" the luggage of two passengers on this full flight: mine and Speaker Hastert's. So, while the empty carousel went round and round, I introduced myself as a former Congressional staffer and DC reporter. My dad also grew up in Aurora, Illinois, like Hastert. Knowing that Hastert was a former teacher, I asked him to jot a brief note to my daughter, who was struggling in school. He wrote something like, "Allie, do your best in school! Speaker Hastert," on the back of a business card. I was impressed, and she was thrilled. Years later, when it was revealed that he molested and tried to buy the silence of some of the young wrestlers he coached, I was appalled. Hastert was convicted in disgrace for financial hush-money crimes (but no sex crimes). He went to prison and was later paroled. Hastert died this past week of natural causes at the age of 84. It is deeply disappointing when leaders we trust let us down.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 50 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. For ten years, he was the Chief Political Reporter for seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering the Washington DC media market, West Virginia, and its five neighboring states. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has contributed as a writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and political analysis air every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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