Hamptons Institute: Midterms 2026—Is Democracy Itself on the Ballot?
Guild Hall
A Conversation with Jeh Johnson and Michael Luttig
Moderated by Michael Waldman
Presented by Guild Hall & The Common Good
Series programmed by Ellen Chesler and Patricia Duff
President Trump has asserted an expansive vision of executive power, challenging established legal and constitutional norms: he has dismantled congressionally authorized federal agencies and programs; imposed unilateral tariffs; summarily arrested and deported immigrants; canceled university grants for scientific and medical research; pardoned convicted criminals; and ignored protections against conflicts of interest. He has authorized military incursions in Venezuela and elsewhere, engaged in war in Iran, and publicly threatened interference with midterm elections.
The courts have pushed back, reversing many—but not all—of these actions. Litigation continues. Where do we stand today? How strong is our democracy? Midterms 2026: Is Democracy Itself on the Ballot? will bring together leading legal and national security voices to examine what is at stake in the months ahead.
Jeh Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and General Counsel of the Department of Defense, has served at the highest levels of government during moments of crisis. Michael Luttig, a former federal appellate judge and one of the country’s most respected conservative legal thinkers, has become a prominent voice on the rule of law and constitutional limits.
The conversation will be moderated by Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice and a leading authority on voting rights and constitutional law.
A book signing in the lobby will follow the program.
