Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his decision to bring charges twice against President Donald Trump -- telling lawmakers in a closed-door deposition earlier this month that his team "had proof beyond reasonable doubt in both cases" that Trump was guilty of the charges in the 2020 election interference and classified documents cases.

President Donald Trump has mistakenly added three years to the age of a top supporter he has called “elderly.” Trump, 79, mixed up the age of the disgraced Colorado official Tina Peters, 70, who is in prison for illegally granting a MAGA crony access to a voting system as they tried to overturn the 2020 election results.

If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections.

Washington Examiner’s investigations editor Sarah Bedford said President Donald Trump has delivered on his campaign promises ahead of the 2026 elections, which could motivate Trump supporters ahead of a tough election cycle.

"Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election"

2026 will be a defining year for President Donald Trump’s political standing and for the ultimate substance and legacy of his second term. The new year will also unfold as a story of resistance to Trump.

The president faces the inevitable waning of power in a second term, but he also will begin the year with an erosion in political support.

Billionaire Elon Musk signaled Thursday that he’ll fund Republican candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, arguing the country is doomed if Democrats take control of Congress. “America is toast if the radical left wins,” Musk wrote on X. “They will open the floodgates to illegal immigration and fraud.

Trump will keep telling his 2020 election lie, even if that radicalizes his supporters. Or, maybe, that's the real motive.

This newsletter was originally sent out via email to our Ground Game subscribers on December 29. You can subscribe at any time at apnews.com/newsletters.