Video taking off 116x its usual first day

Frum warns of subpoena defiance after Trump's midterm defeat

The Atlantic's widely watched Short looks beyond Democratic victories to the limits of congressional scrutiny.

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The Atlantic Story of November 6, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 348,702 views a day, 116 times a normal first day on this channel (3,000).

Things Are Going to Get Ugly

David Frum sees a problem with treating Democratic control of Congress as the end of the story: Donald Trump still has presidential powers, and Frum expects him to use them destructively in response to Republican losses.

In The Atlantic's Short, "Things Are Going to Get Ugly," the staff writer anticipates congressional inquiries into Ukraine, finances and government contracts. His prediction is not that scrutiny will automatically produce accountability, but that it will encounter resistance. "He'll defy subpoenas. He'll take everything to court. He'll drag things out," Frum says.

The commentary drew about 174,000 views in eight hours, already far beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for a Short. The comment section was also much busier than usual, with demands for accountability and discussion of impeachment among the recurring subjects.

Frum's warning sits alongside two other unusually widely watched election Shorts from The Atlantic. Russell Berman reports from Susan Collins's election-night party in Bangor following her defeat by Troy Jackson; Madeleine Carlisle examines the Democratic Senate victory in South Carolina after Trump's selection of Darline Graham as the Republican candidate.

Those videos explain particular results. Frum concentrates on what governing after them could look like, predicting prolonged constitutional conflict rather than a straightforward transfer of influence. He nevertheless leaves room for institutions to respond: "We're going to see some of the worst in human psychology, but maybe we'll see some of the best in the American system."

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