US midterm voters responded in a thunderous voice. This is just the beginning | Betsy Reed

Over the past two years, millions of people all over the world have watched Donald Trump’s destructive reign unfold with one question in their minds: Is there no check on his power?

This week, voters deciding who controls Congress responded in a thunderous voice: there must be a check on the president’s power. From Texas to Ohio to South Carolina, Americans surged to the polls to register their opposition to Donald Trump – and to show their support for the kind of leaders who will look out for the interests of everyday people rather than those of a corrupt ruling elite. And now many people are looking at politics with a new and unfamiliar feeling of hope.

As this new moment dawns, let’s not forget that, before voters had the chance to weigh in, there were precious few powerful institutions willing to take on Trump’s corruption and lies. Major law firms and universities capitulated to his threats and intimidation. Some corporate news outlets bowed to his pressure, too.

But the independent press stood out as one of the only forces for accountability, uncovering the truth at a time when lies are woven into our information ecosystem – and, crucially, making sure the public understood what was at stake in this election.

Now, an emboldened Congress is poised to investigate Trump and interrogate his appointees about their agenda and qualifications. The Guardian’s small but mighty political reporting team will closely examine the evidence behind allegations of corruption and wrongdoing.

So a reckoning is coming, but make no mistake: Trump is still the president of the United States – the single most powerful person on the planet – with all the degraded norms and protections of friendly supreme court justices he had before. He still has staggering power to launch destabilizing wars of choice, to worsen the affordability crisis with tariffs, to sacrifice Ukraine to Russia, to give tech oligarchs free rein over our humanity and our economy, and to weaponize the justice department and other agencies for his political ends.

While I don’t like to engage in the game of political prognosis, it seems highly unlikely, based on past experience with this man, that Trump will respond to a midterm drubbing by moderating his political stances.

When his back is up against the wall – as it surely will be with a Democratic House and Senate – we can expect a maelstrom of fury and desperate deal-making.

We will need a free press in 2027 as much as we relied on one in the darkest days of 2025 and 2026. At its best, a truly free press can speak directly to the public, shedding light on hidden schemes and revealing the whole picture of our flawed world. Yet these are not the best of times: Trump’s crackdown on the press shows no signs of letting up; consolidated ownership means fewer options and less diversity of perspective; and the advent of AI has threatened the entire business model of journalism, resulting in extreme staff layoffs that have gutted newsrooms.

The Guardian is fortunate to have no billionaire owner, no corporate bosses who put profit over mission. We’re accountable to the facts and to our readers. And the Guardian is fortunate to have our readers who are willing to open their wallets, commit month after month, to help sustain our independence.

We have an excellent team of reporters, editors and others who work hard each day to bring you the news. We don’t cut corners on getting our facts right.

From reporting on the ground to fending off legal risks to keeping our reporters safe, journalism is incredibly expensive to do well. To help fund our work in 2027, we are looking to raise $2,000,000 by the end of the year. If you can contribute any amount, please do so. If you can contribute monthly, even better – I need to know we have the resources to report on the final throes of Trump’s presidency in what may be a tumultuous year ahead.

As I’ve reminded you before: journalism sustains democracy. Together, we’ll sustain journalism.