Tuesday 03 / November / 2026
US President Donald Trump labeled the upcoming midterm elections as the most important "in our lifetime."
Trump did seem to lower his supporters' expectations by saying on Monday that an incumbent president "doesn't win the midterms," while also adding that his Republican party "gave this a very strong shot."
"Usually, whoever the sitting president is, Republican or Democrat, good or bad, good president, great president. For some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms," Trump said.
According to the US president, the Democrats nominated "the most extreme and dangerous" list of candidates in the country's history.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer responded to Trump's accusation by calling his last message ahead of the midterms "pathetic."
"Donald Trump's pathetic closing message as his illegal war rages, his corruption mounts, and the inflation he caused persists," Schumer posted on his X account.
Trump's last-minute attempt to block 20,000 California ballots was rejected by the US Supreme Court.
US carries out Iran attack: report
Ahead of the midterms, the US carried out a strike at Iran's Qeshm Island, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US sources.
The US Central Command did not officially confirm the attack.
This comes despite the Trump administration voicing optimism that the talks with Iran could lead to progress on ending the war between the two countries.
Vice President JD Vance earlier said that the goal remains to prevent Iran from securing nuclear weapons.
"We do think that there is a pathway there, but it really does require a firm commitment and a verifiable commitment that they don’t rebuild that nuclear program," Vance said, also labeling the US' conversations with Iran "good."
Referendum on acting president
This comes as the vote to decide control of Congress for the rest of Trump's term as president will take place on November 3.
Millions of voters will head to the polls, with surging costs of living and energy prices as a result of the Trump-led war in Iran taking center stage.
Trump said he hoped that voters would realize the risks of Iran having nuclear weapons heading to the polls.
"If we allowed Iran to have a nuclear weapon, this country could never function the same way," he argued.
Oil prices dropped significantly as the US and Iran renewed the talks over ending the war between the two countries.
The midterms are largely seen as a referendum on the current US president's policies.
The Democrats are expected to retake the House of Representatives from the Republicans' control, but the fight for the Senate is considered to be close.
The election's outcome is bound to influence both parties' strategies going ahead to the 2028 presidential election.
