Obituaries to wish for in 2026

January 16, 2026
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Montrose Star
Posted in THE TRLICA TAKE
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Commentary: “I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure,” is a quote often misattributed to Mark Twain but was actually said by famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

But make no mistake, there are some things that should die in 2026. An early 2026 casualty is the congressional career of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who left Congress on January 5, and good riddance! She became a household name for divisive rhetoric, political stunts, enthusiastic support of President Trump, and she never met a conspiracy theory she didn’t like. Her epiphany over the Epstein files hardly makes up for all the bitterness and hate she fueled while in the national spotlight.

She’ll forever be remembered as the woman who embraced QAnon conspiracy theories, liked a post that called for violence against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and heckled school shooting survivor David Hogg in 2020 before he became a prominent LGBTQ+ and political activist.

Another obituary we’d love to read in 2026 is the death of the Speakership of Mike Johnson. The Louisiana representative, whose lips are conspicuously the same shade of orange as the president’s rear end, authored a federal “don’t say LGBTQ” bill in 2022 that would prohibit federal funding for any “sexually oriented” event or material for children under the age of 10. The legislation would have affected public libraries, public schools, military bases, and hospitals. His wife, Kelly Johnson, operates a “counseling” business that advocates the belief that homosexuality is comparable to bestiality and incest.

The Speaker said America’s culture was “so dark and depraved that it almost seems irredeemable,” and cited LGBTQ people as a factor that could incite God’s wrath if America doesn’t “restore the foundations and return to Him.”

Will the new year finally be the end of the political career of Ken Paxton? The Texas Attorney General is leading incumbent Senator John Cornyn for the Republican nomination, despite a decades-long aversion to truth and morals. (A requirement in today’s G.O.P.). He was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges for allegedly misleading investors in a tech startup, but reached a deal in early 2024 to have those charges dismissed after fulfilling conditions like paying restitution and completing ethics training. In 2023, he faced an impeachment trial over allegations of bribery and abuse of power. If he survives against Cornyn, let’s pray that the Democratic nominee, either James Talarico or Jasmine Crockett, can put the final nail in Paxton’s political coffin.

The end of the Trump presidency and MAGA is an obituary that cannot come too soon. Donald Trump is not just a horrible man; he is wicked. Besides his association with the world’s most notorious pedophile, one of the worst things he has done is turn decent, law-abiding, God-fearing Christians into sycophants who find excuses for his behavior. Some of his followers have already found a way to make pedophilia acceptable.

But physical death would be too good for him. If his dementia or Alzheimer‘s-addled brain can comprehend it, he needs to live to see the darkness that has settled over the country begin to lift, and see America return to a day when morals, inclusivity, and kindness mattered. Back when our political opponents were just people with differing views and not our enemies. No president has the right to turn Americans into enemies, and for him, in his Christmas message to the nation, to call half the country “radical left scum” is just plain deplorable and should be grounds for his removal from office.

Whether or not MAGA dies when its leader is no longer in office remains to be seen. Did Trump create MAGA, or is he just a mouthpiece for an ideology that was already there, just in hiding, much like cockroaches under a refrigerator?

Will 2026 be the end of the Trump presidency and the demise of MAGA? That will be an obituary worth reading and will bring pleasure to untold Americans.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sources: GLAAD, NPR, Ballotpedia.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Montrose Star. Johnny Trlica is the editor of Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page and has been published in several newspapers and magazines. He grew up in Rosenberg, Texas, lived for over 30 years in the Montrose and now resides in Galveston, Texas. He may be contacted at HRHeditor@gmail.com.