Jim Acosta warns Trump could trigger '52-car pileup' over disputed midterm election results
WASHINGTON, DC: Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta warned President Donald Trump could create a "52-car pileup" over disputed midterm election results by casting doubt on key House races if the outcomes do not go his way.
The remarks came as television networks weighed whether to air Trump's primetime address live.
Acosta argued broadcasters should avoid amplifying what he described as unsubstantiated election claims without real-time fact-checking.
The networks should not air Trump’s planned speech on his election lies to the nation tonight. He has never proven any of his nutty conspiracy theories about our elections. Trump lost the 2020 election. That is the truth and always will be. Don’t give in to the lies. pic.twitter.com/ge12l9WBXi
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 16, 2026
Jim Acosta says Trump is fueling midterm election distrust
Appearing on ‘The Joy Reid Show’ on Saturday, July 18, Acosta suggested the president could be forging a broader plot to create what he coined a "52-car pileup" around the midterm elections.
He argued it was "totally crazy to put his b*****t 'Looney Tunes' conspiracy theories on live national television without fact-checkers in real time," adding that post-speech fact-checks were insufficient because they would simply conclude there was "no evidence to support his claims."
Acosta also said Trump had repeatedly failed to back up allegations surrounding US elections.
"He has never ever proven any of these things. He has lost the benefit of the doubt," Acosta said. "We should not be erring on the side of putting these things out there, and I totally agree with you that he's chumming the waters for not trusting the midterms."
Jim Acosta warns of prolonged post-midterm legal battles
Acosta went further by describing what he believed could happen if close House races are disputed after the midterm elections.
"[He could] say, 'See, I can't trust these results over here in this state or these results over here in that key district that may determine the control of the House. And Mike Johnson, maybe we just shouldn't seat a new Congress right away, and maybe we should just all go to court and have the courts untangle'... [and] that's going to take until May or June of next year," Acosta said.
Trump renews election integrity push
Acosta's warning came before Trump's primetime address on Thursday, during which the president again focused on election integrity and alleged China "worked to influence the results" of the 2020 presidential election, an accusation Beijing has denied.
As per the Fox News report, Trump did not claim China changed votes or altered election results.
“Instead, he said Beijing conducted an influence campaign aimed at shaping US public opinion. Trump cited those intelligence disclosures while urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, arguing they showed lawmakers should strengthen federal election rules before the midterms,” it said.
The bill passed the House in February but stalled in the Senate in March after a 53-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance.
