America chooses. In the midterm elections, control of Congress is at stake, currently in Republican hands: all 435 seats in the House, over a third of the 100 in the Senate and 36 governors are up for grabs. But for many it is a referendum on Trump. 'These are the most important midterms in history, we will not allow them to take away the golden age: let's stop jihadists and communists,' said the tycoon at his last rally in Washington. Democrats ahead in all polls, but the tycoon doesn't give up. The US Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to force California to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots on the grounds that they may have been delivered to people who were not American citizens. From 10.30pm the Sky TG24 special.
We will vote today in the United States in the midterm elections, which will renew the main federal institutions: Congress and federal Parliament. Although the vote is not aimed at a change of president, it will nevertheless be a thermometer to measure the level of consensus for the Trump administration. With still two years of presidency ahead of him, the tycoon finds himself facing potentially crucial elections, at a difficult moment for the Republican Party. The vast majority of voters expressed concern regarding the cost of living. Food and fuel prices have soared, in part due to aggressive tariffs imposed by the president and the unpopular war with Iran. All these elements will affect the electoral outcome. In recent months, Donald Trump has recorded approval ratings at historic lows and has therefore engaged in his electoral campaign, participating as a guest in dozens of rallies across the country. But high prices are a concern for voters on all sides, which helps explain why he campaigned in traditionally Republican territories, appearing in Iowa and Kansas during a final weekend of intense campaign activity. His party has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign advertising in these traditionally safe contests, such as the Senate race in Kansas.
The Democrats are confident: the party enters the elections with an advantage of 9 percentage points in the general votes for Congress, according to a CNN poll, and analysts have constantly moved the forecasts for the most contested seats in their favor. Democrats are also ahead in five key Senate races, according to NYT-Siena polls. For its part, the Republican Party has protected itself with unprecedented redrawing of electoral districts and is defending Senate seats in Republican-majority states that voted for Trump three times. However, there is strong concern among Republicans that the current economic situation, which has made them vulnerable in traditionally safe electoral contests, in states such as Texas, Ohio and Kansas. “The Southern states, the Midwestern states, the heartland of America — that's where Republicans tend to thrive,” said Stephen Hawkins, global director of research at polling firm More in Common. 'But that's where the Senate elections are taking place, which are among the most interesting at the moment.' 'The places where President Trump won by 10, 12 or 15 points just two years ago in the presidential election are now states where Democrats have a real chance of winning a Senate seat,' he added.
Donald Trump has argued that if Democrats gain control of Congress in the midterm elections, much of the progress his administration has made could be undone. In a telephone interview with Fox News, the US president referred to policies he supports, including the elimination of taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime compensation. 'So many things we have achieved risk being erased,' he warned, urging voters to imagine his name being on the ballot paper, with the aim of increasing voter turnout. 'Every time my name is on the ballot, I win; we get 50% more votes than when they aren't there. So, I ask everyone to pretend that I am on the ballot,' he said. 'If our people go out to vote, we will win by a landslide.' 'What we have achieved in Iran is extraordinary,' the head of the White House later claimed, defending the 'Midnight Hammer' operation. 'Their army no longer exists, the navy has disappeared, the air force has been annihilated, as has their anti-aircraft defence'. 'Oil prices are collapsing because people perceive there will not be a war with Iran. Iran wants a deal, as quickly as possible. It could happen,' he had written shortly before on his social network Truth Social. Trump made these statements after the White House had started a live streaming to illustrate the goals achieved by the administration in view of election day. The broadcast, which lasted several hours, reviewed a wide range of initiatives: from efforts to stem illegal immigration to the administration's foreign policy agenda. Achievements highlighted include reduction of the trade deficit, job creation, arrest of hundreds of child sexual predators, and 'Make America Healthy Again' initiatives. 'This is the most important midterm election in our history. The Democrats have nominated jihadists to advance their extremist agenda,' he said, speaking of the midterm vote. 'We have launched the golden age, and we will not let it take it away from us.' 'The Democrats want to ruin everything by electing jihadists and communists to the United States Congress,' he argued in Kansas, during his last rally before the vote. 'I hope that voters are ready to do the right thing,' he urged, 'let's not let people who hate our country win the elections.'
