CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett warned over the weekend that artificial intelligence could become a major political flashpoint in 2026, particularly inside the MAGA movement, as President Donald Trump aggressively embraces AI while several Republican-led states move to rein it in.
The comments came during a roundtable on Face the Nation, where host Margaret Brennan asked a panel of veteran CBS reporters to offer their predictions for the 2026 political landscape.
The discussion opened with CBS national correspondent Robert Costa, who focused on the Democratic Party’s future leadership. Costa cautioned that it is still early in the 2028 presidential cycle but listed several prominent Democratic governors often mentioned as potential contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Costa then suggested that the Democratic field could shift dramatically by 2026, with unexpected figures entering the conversation. He floated the possibility of celebrity candidates and pointed to sports personality Stephen A. Smith, noting that Smith has been speaking with Democrats about a potential political future. Costa said whether Smith actually runs remains to be seen, but argued that celebrity politics on both sides is something to watch in the Trump era.
CBS chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford turned her attention to the Supreme Court, revisiting a prediction she made the previous year. Crawford said she had expected Justice Samuel Alito to retire and give President Trump a fourth Supreme Court nomination. She explained that sources close to Alito say he has not made up his mind, noting the tension between his age, his role as an intellectual leader of the conservative wing, and the political timing of a Republican White House and Senate.
Justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane predicted that Americans will increasingly feel the effects of workforce reductions tied to DOGE. MacFarlane said thousands of longtime civil servants have lost their jobs in the past year, warning that such cuts could slow investigations and prosecutions at agencies like the Department of Justice, which he said has lost more than 5,000 employees.
Garrett closed the segment by merging his prediction with what he described as an underreported issue. He said the expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence will be a powerful but underappreciated political issue in 2026.
Garrett pointed out that President Donald Trump has signed eight executive orders related to artificial intelligence, second only to tariffs and immigration, effectively branding himself as the “AI president.” At the same time, Garrett noted growing resistance in Republican-led states such as Indiana, Arizona, Missouri, and Texas, where concerns are rising over AI regulation, lack of oversight, and the impact of massive data centers.
He cited polling showing nearly 60 percent of Americans believe AI will eliminate jobs rather than create them, while 44 percent want more regulation, not less. Garrett argued that Democrats have identified AI as a potential wedge issue precisely because Republicans are not unified on it.
“The president has already put out his chips on AI,” Garrett said, warning that the tension between innovation, regulation, and job security could reshape political battles heading into 2026.
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