Politics 1 min read By Mason Emerson
Ava DuVernay Warns US Is in Trouble Whatever the Midterm Outcome
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay says the 2026 midterm elections leave the country in trouble regardless of the result, and she expects a strong reaction if Democrats hold on.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay says the United States is in trouble no matter how the midterm elections turn out. Speaking with Variety at the Gala last week, the director of the documentary 14th said that the outcome of the vote will not settle the country's problems.
"I think either way we're in trouble," DuVernay said. She added that if Democrats manage to win, she expects an outsized reaction from the other side. DuVernay did not spell out what form that reaction might take in the portion of the conversation available in the source material.
DuVernay's comments came during a public appearance at a gala event, where she spoke about the political climate ahead of the midterms. Her warning reflects a broader concern she has voiced about the tensions surrounding American democracy, and it arrives as the country heads into a national election cycle that will decide control of Congress.
DuVernay is best known for 14th, her documentary examining the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments and the role of racial injustice and mass incarceration in American history. Her remarks at the gala link her filmmaking, which often addresses the politics of race and justice, to the current electoral moment.
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