Americans voted on Tuesday in a midterm election seen as a nationwide referendum on Donald Trump that could wrest control of Congress from his Republican Party and impose major restraints on the remaining two years of his presidency.
Trump defended his record in a final TV phone-in pitch to voters on Tuesday, saying he had rebuilt the country through his immigration crackdown, war on Iran and tariff policies. But in his final public campaign appearance on Monday, Trump barely touched on the election and gave a rambling talk about his problem-plagued renovation of Washington’s Reflecting Pool. Polls predict the Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives and possibly seize the Senate on the back of voter resentment at an unpopular president, soaring energy costs and the ongoing conflict with Iran. As soon as polls close, concerns will mount over whether results will be accepted by the Republicans.
Republicans insist that Trump’s tax cuts and anti-migrant stance will benefit voters, and they are portraying Democratic candidates as left-wing radical socialists — a message that seemed to resonate with Daryl Ruley, an 84-year-old voter in Austin, Texas. The campaign has attracted more than $11 billion in political advertising, and mega-rich Trump ally Elon Musk has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican efforts. Trump, who tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat, has repeatedly alleged widespread voter fraud and accused Democrats — with no evidence — of cheating.
