Americans are voting in midterm elections that could reshape the final two years of Donald Trump’s second presidency, with Republicans defending narrow majorities in both chambers of the US Congress.
The US-Israeli war on Iran and its economic fallout have put pressure on the Republicans. Fuel costs have squeezed households and businesses, with diesel prices reaching a record high in September.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for worsening the global diesel shortage, repeatedly urging Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to halt the strikes. He has also reached a deal with Moscow to secure additional supplies. Zelensky has rejected the criticism, accusing Trump of “deflecting the focus away from Iran.”
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested, alongside governorships in 36 states. Polling stations are open across the eastern US, following weeks of early voting in which more than 57 million people cast ballots, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
Support for Israel and funding for Ukraine have also exposed divisions over Washington’s priorities and spending abroad. A Democratic takeover could obstruct the Trump administration’s legislative agenda and open the way for investigations into the president. RT host Rick Sanchez projects an opposition victory in the lower chamber and two years of political gridlock, but questions whether either party would fundamentally change American foreign policy.
Calls for an alternative to the longstanding two-party system have also raised the question of whether independent candidates can turn public dissatisfaction into electoral gains.
Follow every turn here, from the polling stations to the battle for a majority. RT will bring you breaking developments, results, and reaction throughout the vote and count, with special coverage featuring Rick Sanchez in Moscow, Ben Swann in Miami, and Scottie Nell Hughes and John Kiriakou in Washington.
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