President Donald Trump wants the 2026 midterms to become a referendum on himself — but could that strategy backfire?

In this week’s Grant and Ryan conversation, Ryan Welton and Grant Hermes examine the administration’s actions involving mail-in ballots, election monitoring, voting infrastructure and federal law enforcement. Grant lays out what he sees as a broader effort to create doubt and disruption around the election, while explaining the legal and practical limits on what a president can do.

They also dig into the striking Oklahoma runoff map that divided much of the state along I-44. Why did Mike Mazzei dominate southeastern Oklahoma while Gentner Drummond performed better in the northwest? Ryan and Grant discuss voter turnout, television markets, Trump’s endorsement and what the results could mean for Cyndi Munson in the general election.

Plus, Oklahoma cattle producers are unhappy with plans to import more beef. Ryan and Grant discuss the administration’s proposed response, the safety and economic questions surrounding locally processed meat, and how immigration enforcement could further disrupt the meat industry.

Finally, the United States and Canada are entering a potentially costly trade war. The two discuss the products that could become more expensive, why Canada is pushing back and how the dispute could affect consumers heading into the holiday season.

Topics include:

• Trump’s strategy for the 2026 midterms
• Mail-in ballots and election monitoring
• Oklahoma’s I-44 political divide
• Mike Mazzei, Gentner Drummond and Cyndi Munson
• Beef imports and Oklahoma cattle producers
• Meat processing, inspections and immigration enforcement
• Tariffs and the U.S.-Canada trade war

Grant and Ryan is a weekly conversation from the Oklahoma Memo podcast featuring Ryan Welton and Grant Hermes of Make It Make Sense with Grant Hermes.

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