US President Donald Trump said on Friday, speaking ahead of the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November 3, that he believes the war with Iran will end soon, but he did not explain how that will happen.
Trump explained in an interview with KCMO radio station in Kansas City: “This file will be closed soon.” “We need to ensure that there will never be a nuclear weapon.”
He added that the United States would not strike Iran before the elections.
In addition, an informed official told Reuters news agency on Friday that the Qatari mediators returned to Tehran today, Friday, as part of efforts to reach an agreement between the United States and Iran. The official added that the mediation talks are taking place in coordination with Washington.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Thursday that Tehran had communicated its conditions to the mediators repeatedly and clearly, and that progress could not be achieved unless its seven conditions were met. Qalibaf added, via the “X” platform, that “the carrot and stick policy will not work with Iran.” According to Reuters.
Iran presented its proposal in mid-September, after the collapse of a temporary ceasefire. Its conditions include, in addition to other demands, the lifting of the US blockade on its ports, the abolition of sanctions on its oil exports, and the cessation of hostilities on all fronts in the region.
The Democratic candidate for US Senate in the state of Michigan, Abdul Sayed, will participate on Sunday in an election event in the city of Detroit alongside his former rival in the primary elections, Representative Haley Stevens, in their first joint public appearance in months, after a week during which the ongoing disputes came to light, according to an Associated Press report.
They will be joined by South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the most prominent black politicians in the United States, during a voter-motivation event at a Detroit church, according to two people familiar with the arrangements who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. The Associated Press was the first to reveal this event.
The joint appearance, the first since a morning meeting to unify Democratic ranks following the August 4 primary, comes weeks after the party's efforts to rally behind El-Sayed, who won by a razor-thin margin over Stevens, faltered. The latter received significant support from Jewish and black voters, which raised fears of a decline in their voter turnout in the midterm elections in November.
Disagreements surface
Tensions returned to the forefront on Wednesday, when Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, told the Detroit News that he would vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
Hours later, Stevens appeared on CNN to reaffirm that she would vote for Mr. But she called on his campaign to “remove and condemn hate.” She said that he had to communicate with voters who were part of her electoral coalition, and “make them feel comfortable about going to the polls.”
In response to a question, on Thursday evening, about the upcoming event with Stevens, Al-Sayyed said: “We always try to unify the party,” attributing the delay in their joint appearance to their busyness. He then criticized the journalist who asked the question, saying that “no one cares” about the party’s internal interactions in light of the high costs of living.
Despite the importance of the joint appearance, it comes a few days before the elections. Their last appearance together was on August 6, two days after the primaries, when Stevens pledged to support El-Sayed, telling CBS News that she would do “whatever he wants me to do” during the election campaign.
But the divisions left by the intense primary competition persist. About $60 million was spent on ads attacking Al-Sayyid, including $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Stevens is a strong supporter of Israel, and represents a district that includes a large Jewish community in the Detroit suburbs.
The church visit, on Sunday, aims to strengthen the unity of the ranks, which is still elusive, but its impact is not determined, especially since it is only two days before the elections, while early voting in Michigan began on October 24.
“We have a coalition of black and Jewish voters who came out in large numbers to vote for me,” Stevens told CNN on Wednesday. “And I want them to get out and vote Democratic.”
Advertisements that displease Jewish voters
El-Sayed's criticisms of Israel and past statements, as well as his connection to Hassan Baker, the controversial live stream host, have long alarmed some members of Michigan's large Jewish community. Turkish and others said El-Sayed did not do enough to address these concerns before the general election.
The most recent controversy centered around an advertisement published by the independent left-wing political action committee “Rebellion,” linking American support for Israel to high food prices.
“It has nothing to do with our campaign,” Al-Sayed said of the announcement, adding: “Certainly, this is not what I want to talk about now.”
But Stevens and other Democrats called on him to take a clearer stance and condemn the content of the announcement instead of just distancing himself from it.
In an effort to expand his support base, Al-Sayyed organized election events in heavily Republican areas, including the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His campaign also published an ad that included clips of prominent conservative figures praising him, including former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, who has faced accusations of anti-Semitism that he denies.
However, this announcement in turn constituted an additional source of friction with some Jewish voters.
Rabbi Aaron Starr, from the Shaare Zedek congregation in Southfield, criticized the Rebellion Committee’s and El-Sayed’s campaign announcements, during a call with journalists.
Starr said: “We are only a week away from the elections, and it seems that the tension has risen a lot,” adding: “Instead of things getting better over the past seven weeks, they have actually gotten worse.”
Trump presents Republicans with challenges
Republicans, in turn, face political challenges, especially voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump, war with Iran, and rising costs of living.
Republican candidate Rogers maintained close alignment with the president on most issues, and appeared alongside him during an election rally in Michigan, on Sunday, in which he praised Trump's role in bringing manufacturing sector jobs back to the state.
The gathering was held in Port Huron, across the river from Canada, a country with which Michigan has close economic ties, and which Trump targeted with tariffs.
On the other hand, Rogers appeared on Wednesday alongside Republican Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, at an event hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition in Birmingham, Michigan.
Cruz described anti-Semitism as “a poison that is tearing the country apart,” and accused the Democrats of being controlled by “communists and Islamists who openly declare this.”
Trump repeatedly attacked Al-Sayyed because of his Islamic religion, described him as a “jihadist,” and said on Sunday that he “stands with the terrorists.”
A race to attract black voters
Both candidates are seeking to win the support of black voters, especially in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, where Stevens beat El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.
Al-Sayed's effectiveness with Stevens and Clyburn falls within efforts to strengthen his support among these voters. Appearing in Detroit occupied a large part of his movements during the final phase of the campaign.
Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers also sought to expand his support among black voters, visiting a reading program at a Detroit high school and discussing housing costs with residents of Pontiac, north of the city. Earlier this month, his wife handed out $10 gift cards at a gas station.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled his election rallies scheduled for the weekend in Iowa and Kansas. Trump preferred to support Republican candidates via telephone rallies, which his party explained would provide access to a wider segment of voters in about twenty states, in the final days of the midterm elections that threaten the Republican Party’s control of Congress.
The president traveled to South Carolina on Thursday for the second time in a month, a sign of Republican concern about Darlingraham's ability to fend off a strong challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews for a crucial seat in the US Senate.
South Carolina voters have not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades. But Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress, urges voters seeking change to "try something new for once."
That message resonates in an election year marked by voter frustration with the economy, gasoline prices and the war in Iran, putting Trump's Republican Party on the defensive in areas where they have rarely had to compete in recent years.
In addition to South Carolina, Republicans enter the final days of this year's midterm elections fighting close races in Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska. Both parties are also closely following developments in the Mississippi Senate race.
The president expressed confidence upon his return to the White House, saying: “We will have a strong Tuesday night.”
Trump was scheduled to hold two election rallies; One in Kansas on Saturday, and the other in Iowa on Sunday. However, on Thursday evening, the Republican National Committee announced the cancellation of in-person attendance in favor of running a “sprint for 72 hours” via telephone rallies. In a move, the committee explained that it aims to increase his ability to communicate with voters nationwide. It is planned to hold these virtual events in about 20 states, with the possibility of announcing more later.
