Trump’s Day of Reckoning... Pledges to Give $5,000 [U.S. Midterm Elections: ‘Day of Reckoning’]

【Financial News, New York—Correspondent Lee Byung-chul】 The U.S. midterm elections, which will determine the course of President Donald Trump’s administration in the second half of his term, will be held on the 3rd (local time). In his final campaign rally, President Trump urged Republican supporters to vote, saying, “I think this is the most important midterm election in our lifetime.” Polls released ahead of the election showed Democrats leading Republicans as voters’ dissatisfaction with high prices and the cost of living grew. However, the gap between the parties has narrowed, making turnout on Election Day a potential deciding factor.
This election will fill all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. If Democrats take control of Congress, scrutiny of President Trump’s key policies, including tariffs, immigration and tax cuts, could intensify. In particular, if control of the House changes hands, investigations and hearings into the administration could expand, potentially bringing the White House and Congress into open conflict.
On the 2nd, the day before the election, President Trump gave his final in-person speech at the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and called for support for the Republican Party. Citing tax cuts and border security policies as key achievements, he stressed, “We must ensure that Congress remains strong and free.” He also repeated his claim that if Republicans win, “everyone will receive $5,000.”
He also continued to criticize Democratic candidates. President Trump claimed, “The Democrats have nominated the most extreme and dangerous candidates in U.S. history.” In particular, he named and attacked Democratic candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Senate in Michigan.
However, polls released shortly before the election showed a clear Democratic lead. According to a poll conducted by The New York Times (NYT) and Siena College from the 23rd of last month through the 1st of this month, Democratic candidates led their Republican rivals in six of the seven key Senate battleground states.
A nationwide poll released on the 2nd by Reuters and Ipsos also found that Democrats had 46% support, 8 percentage points ahead of Republicans at 38%. President Trump’s job approval rating stood at 32%, near the record low of 31% recorded two weeks earlier. In particular, 50% of independent voters said their vote in this election would be a vote against President Trump. By contrast, only 13% said they would vote to support him.
However, the actual election outcome is difficult to predict. In the Reuters-Ipsos poll, the gap between Democrats and Republicans narrowed to 8 percentage points, from 11 points a week earlier. With some Senate races in battleground states too close to call within the margin of error, turnout on Election Day is expected to be a deciding factor.
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