US midterms will shape tech policy and Trump’s final two years

Developing story first seen 2 hours ago

The Verge · 2 hours ago

New coverage highlights several technology policy issues at stake in the 2026 midterms, including data centre energy costs, AI safety and expanding surveillance. The results will help determine how much power President Donald Trump’s party holds in his final two years and signal voters’ priorities ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Affordability is expected to dominate the races, while the next Congress is likely to face continued debate over AI regulation and opposition to data centre expansion. In California, a proposed tax on billionaires’ wealth has driven heavy technology-sector spending and prompted executives to structure their shares to make leaving the state harder. The election outcome on 3 November may also influence which technology leaders are called to testify on Capitol Hill.

Sources: 2
Outlets: 2
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In short

Midterms could shape technology policy and Trump’s remaining time in office.
Voters are weighing AI safety, surveillance and data centre costs.
California’s proposed billionaire tax has prompted tech-sector spending.

How this story developed

17 minutes ago Later coverage added concerns about Flock surveillance and made clearer that the vote could shape Congress’s technology agenda and decisions about which industry leaders are called to testify.
23 minutes ago Coverage identified data centre power costs, AI safety and surveillance as technology issues likely to feature in the 2026 midterms, alongside affordability and California’s proposed billionaire wealth tax.

Full account

The US midterm elections on 3 November are set to influence both the balance of power in Washington and the policy agenda for President Donald Trump’s final two years in office. The results will also offer an early indication of voters’ priorities ahead of the 2028 presidential race. Although affordability is expected to dominate campaigning, several technology issues have entered the political debate.

One source report highlights concerns about the growth of data centres and whether the cost of supplying them with energy could fall on households. It also points to questions around AI safety and the spread of surveillance technology, including systems provided by Flock. These issues could feature in the next Congress’s discussions over how to regulate artificial intelligence and respond to opposition to new data-centre development.

The campaign also intersects with a proposed California tax on billionaires’ wealth. The prospect of the measure has prompted substantial spending by technology interests and efforts to devise share structures that could help executives remain in the state if it passes. The election outcome may affect how much attention Congress gives these issues, as well as which technology leaders are called to testify on Capitol Hill.

Taken together, the races will help determine how far the administration can advance its priorities and how willing lawmakers are to pursue oversight or regulation of the technology sector. The source report presents the election as consequential for both immediate policy debates and the political climate leading into 2028, while noting that the precise direction of congressional scrutiny will depend on the results.

Where outlets differ

From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:

The first supplied source gives substantive reporting on technology policy and the election. The second contains only a Le Monde access-denial notice, so it provides no independently reportable account or emphasis to compare.

Steelman: both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

A strong result for Trump’s party could give the administration and Congress more room to pursue their preferred technology policies, including a lighter approach to AI regulation and fewer constraints on business. Supporters may argue that this would encourage investment and innovation, while voters focused on affordability could judge the wider economic direction of the governing party.

The case against

A stronger opposition in Congress could provide more scrutiny of the administration and push for safeguards on AI and expanding surveillance, as well as closer attention to the costs of data centre growth. Supporters of that approach may see oversight as necessary to protect privacy, manage energy impacts and ensure technology companies are accountable, while the result could also signal voter priorities before 2028.

Explained simply

The US midterms are elections held halfway through a president’s four-year term. Voters choose all members of the House of Representatives and some senators; those chambers make federal laws and can investigate government and business leaders. The president’s party may gain or lose seats, affecting how easily it can advance its plans.

Technology policy is part of wider debates about household costs, energy use and privacy. Data centres power online services and AI systems but use large amounts of electricity, while lawmakers are still debating how AI should be regulated and how far surveillance should extend. In California, a proposed tax on very wealthy residents has also drawn attention to the influence of technology companies and their executives.

The election can shape which issues Congress prioritises and which technology leaders face scrutiny. Its results may also offer clues about voters’ concerns before the 2028 presidential election.