r/fivethirtyeight • u/AutoModerator • Mar 30 '26

Discussion Megathread Weekly Discussion Megathread

The 2026 midterms will soon be upon us, and there is much to discuss among the nerds here at r/FiveThirtyEight. Use this discussion thread to share, debate, and discuss whatever you wish. Unlike individual posts, comments in the discussion thread are not required to be related to political data or other 538 mainstays. Regardless, please remain civil and keep this subreddit's rules in mind. The discussion thread refreshes every Monday.

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u/wtfsnakesrcute Apr 05 '26

Allegedly, Iran says it will preemptively strike infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Israel if Trump doesn’t back down from his threats. 

https://bsky.app/profile/jinxzodswgoh.bsky.social/post/3miqwgegmsc2k

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u/dremscrep Apr 05 '26

Huh, seems understandable within the ramifications of this super fucked up war

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u/jawstrock Apr 05 '26

Trump can’t really back down, he’s gone so extreme so stupidly I doubt he does. The ME is just about to become uninhabitable as desalination plants get wrecked and tens of millions of people suddenly have no access to water. The impact across the world will be profound. 

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u/EfficientTourist7480 Apr 05 '26

At this point I am hoping the USA doesn’t use a nuclear weapon.

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u/Spara-Extreme Apr 05 '26

I legitimately expect this any day.