Post Game: How much will the midterm map expand?

NBC News's Meet the Press Post Game, posted Oct. 18, 2026, asks how far the battle for control of Congress might spread before November. Lanhee Chen, Hallie Jackson and Steve Richetti took part in the extended 11-minute-and-14-second discussion, which looked back over the week's biggest political stories.

Other NBC News video posted alongside it sketches the political backdrop. Cook Political Report moved 11 House races in Democrats' direction while Donald Trump kept campaigning, and Steve Kornacki described a fresh NBC News Decision Desk poll showing Democrats with the advantage in midterm enthusiasm. The Justice Department also filed suit against California over alleged noncitizen voters, and Raphael Warnock urged Democrats to mobilize their entire coalition behind Abdul El-Sayed.

Foreign policy also featured. Scott Bessent predicted that prices will ease once the Iran war is over and criticized Zelenskyy as reckless over his claim that the U.S. government caused a Starlink slowdown. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, warned that Ukraine will not prevail if Washington takes Russia's side, while Senator James Lankford described Trump's handling of a Russian oil arrangement as a careful balancing act.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →