Nation States Update: China on the Ballot: 2026 Midterms, Trump's Asia Showdown & Taiwan
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
November 2, 2026
China is on the ballot in the 2026 midterm elections, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Steve Yates examines how the Chinese Communist Party, fentanyl, farmland ownership, and U.S.-China trade are shaping critical congressional races from Texas to Ohio to Iowa.
Speakers Steve Yates
TopicsDaily NewsNewsNews Commentary
Steve Yates (0:01)
Welcome in for today's Nation States Update. China in the midterms, a new Congress, and the President's High States Asia meetings through the end of this year. I'm Steve Yates, your host at Nation States with Yates. Tomorrow is election day, and this cycle, China is on the ballot in a way we haven't seen before. In races from Texas to Ohio to Iowa, candidates and outside groups are spending real money on ads about Beijing.
Farmland, trade, Fentanyl, and who's been soft on the Chinese Communist Party. So tomorrow night at 7 Eastern, right as returns are starting to come in, a new Nation States episode drops. China on the ballot, and what Congress does next. I'm not here to call the races. I'll just tell you what the China fight looks like once the ads come down, and what the next Congress has to deal with, no matter who wins. Then on Thursday night, it's Trump's Asia gauntlet. The president heads into a high-stakes stretch of meetings with allies and with Beijing, while Chinese warplanes and ships keep pressing Taiwan.
I'll walk you through what's on the table, what our allies are listening for, and why arms for Taiwan should never be a bargaining chip.
So remember to subscribe and download, so you never miss an episode. Pass along your program ideas and your take on how we're doing to feedback at nationstatesyates.com. Tell your friends to follow Nation States on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts, and connect with us on X at NS with Yates for all the latest program updates. Until next time, stay strong America.
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