Dear Friend,
We shared Part I of our 2026 preview last night. As promised, here is Part II.
The administration is counting on you to tune out so they can dismantle our institutions in the dark. With legacy media outlets like CBS already spiking investigations—like the recent 60 Minutes piece on immigration—independent media is the last line of defense.
Lincoln Square isn’t backing down. We’re doubling down and scaling up our operations and staffing to prepare for the fight ahead.
Part II outlines the high-stakes fights we need to win to defeat the MAGA agenda and reclaim the majority in 2026. Democracy needs a voice that won’t be silenced. Help us amplify it.
Part II: An Exhaustive A-Z Preview of 2026
Here is the rest of the list of issues that we are monitoring as we prepare the essential commentary and analysis you’ll need to navigate this defining chapter of our Republic:
Immigration Funding & Personnel: Utilizing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, the administration is launching thousands of new ICE agents and detention centers to meet a removal target of one million individuals per year.
Impeachment & Oversight: Democratic priorities center on “abuse of power” investigations into the administration’s use of tariff revenues for military payments, which may escalate into formal proceedings depending on midterm results.
Indefinite Hold on Citizenship Ceremonies: Naturalization oath ceremonies and final adjudications have been halted for nationals of at least 19 countries, leaving thousands of approved legal residents in a permanent state of legal limbo.
Labor Market Cooling & Unemployment: The national unemployment rate has climbed to 4.6% in late 2025, with projections suggesting further softening as federal workforce reductions and high borrowing costs dampen private-sector hiring through 2026.
Legal “Sanctuary” Battles: Constitutional clashes will peak as states like Maryland and Washington enforce data-privacy laws to block federal access to state databases used for immigration enforcement.
MAGA Coalition Strategy: The administration plans to leverage the U.S. 250th “Semiquincentennial” anniversary in July as a massive cultural and political mobilization event to energize its base before the November vote.
Mass Deportations and “Operation Southern Spear”: 2026 is projected as the most aggressive year for domestic removals, featuring expanded workplace raids in the agricultural sector and a military campaign targeting maritime vessels in the Caribbean.
Middle East “Uneasy Peace”: The administration is expected to push for Saudi-Israeli normalization in 2026 while managing the fragile sustainability of ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.
To help you navigate the year ahead, we are offering an exclusive, last-chance opportunity to upgrade your subscription. For just $6/month or $60/year—a 40% discount off our regular rate—you can unlock full access for all of 2026. You can cancel at anytime. This offer ends in 24 hours.
Oversight of Epstein Emails: Congressional committees are currently reviewing thousands of newly released emails to investigate allegations regarding high-level political knowledge of past illegal activities.
Potential Key Firings & Cabinet Instability: Early 2026 predictions point to a volatile cabinet landscape, with the President potentially using expanded Supreme Court-sanctioned firing powers to remove leaders of independent agencies who resist his directives.
Privatized Diplomacy via Witkoff and Kushner: Global stability faces a new paradigm as the administration bypasses professional diplomats, empowering real estate moguls Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to conduct “cowboy diplomacy” on private jets through transactional, personal relationships that stand to benefit Trump & his cronies at the cost of our national security.
Promises of Retribution and Punishment: The administration has moved beyond rhetoric into action, using DOJ investigations and the federalization of the National Guard to punish political opponents, journalists, and activists who challenge the White House.
Supreme Court & Legal Showdowns: The Court’s Spring 2026 term will feature the landmark Barbara v. Trump case to decide the constitutionality of ending birthright citizenship and rulings on the President’s power to fire independent agency leaders.
Systemic Corruption and Self-Dealing: Federal oversight reports reveal that the presidency has been leveraged into a personal multi-billion dollar enterprise, with the Trump family raking in nearly $1 billion in crypto investments from foreign interests since early 2025.
Rise of Independent Media: In 2026, a growing network of independent and nonprofit newsrooms is linking up to bypass legacy structures, providing essential accountability journalism focused on voters’ lived experiences.
Targeting of Legal Immigrants and Residents: Federal agents are now authorized to arrest legal permanent residents at green card interviews and revoke valid student visas, systematically targeting those who have entered and lived in the U.S. legally.
Threats to Voting Rights: Looking toward the midterms, federal lawsuits seeking state voter data and executive orders targeting mail-in voting have sparked fears of mid-decade gerrymandering and widespread voter suppression.
Ukraine “Peace through Trade” Transition: U.S. military aid is expected to transition to a “loan-and-sale” model as the administration pressures European allies to fund the majority of regional defense.
Violation of Immigrant and Human Rights: Domestic enforcement is pivoting toward aggressive, extra-constitutional tactics where nearly half of those detained have no criminal record, raising alarms over the total abandonment of due process.
War & Nuclear Diplomacy: The lapse of the New START treaty without a successor agreement would leave the U.S. and Russia with no legally binding nuclear constraints for the first time in over 50 years.
War, Security, and Global Treaties: A critical diplomatic crisis looms for February 4, 2026, when the New START nuclear treaty with Russia expires, potentially ending decades of verifiable limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.
Whew! that was A LOT.
With the support of our paid subscribers, we are scaling our operations—adding staff and working around the clock to cut through the noise. We are dedicated to bringing you the insights on Substack that make you smarter about this moment and delivering the precise tools needed to fight back through the Lincoln Square Action platform and our digital toolkits to combat fascism and flip red seats to blue.
Our fight for the future of our democracy in 2026 and beyond will require a community that is informed, coordinated, and ready to act. By upgrading today, you ensure that you are part of a growing, resistant community of patriots at Lincoln Square, armed with the insights from political insiders who make us smarter at this critical moment.
Upgrade today for just $6/month or $60/year. This is our final discount offer for the year—take advantage of it and join the fight to flip red seats to blue and help deliver a punishing defeat of the MAGA movement in 2026. You can cancel at any time.
We don’t want you to miss a thing.
Sincerely,
Lincoln Square