President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance are beginning the final push toward the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with Republican and Democratic candidates dispersing across the country in the final days of campaigning.
On Monday afternoon, President Trump called on his supporters in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., to vote in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
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“If the people who voted for me in the last election turn out to vote, and only a significant portion of them turn out, we will win in a landslide,” he said, later acknowledging that this could be an uphill battle.
“That’s not going to happen now, because for some reason, the sitting president, whether Republican or Democrat, for better or for worse, usually whoever the sitting president is, doesn’t win midterm elections,” he added.
President Trump also called Alaska’s Senate race a “rigged election.”
“In Alaska, the Dumbocrats conspired to put a fake Dan Sullivan on the ballot to confuse voters,” he said.
The administration had filed a new legal request to bar the certification of Alaska’s election results, alleging that Democrats conspired to field a “spoiler” candidate to divert votes from Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan of the same name, but U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason on Sunday dismissed the lawsuit, calling the request “unworkable.”
Republicans are trying to maintain their majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives, despite President Trump’s low approval ratings and polls predicting the Iran war, rising energy prices and the affordability crisis could mean a strong night for Democrats.
President Trump stays in Washington
Ending the campaign in a reflecting pool was a departure from President Trump’s recent strategy. The president has held more than 25 rallies in the past month, mostly in conservative areas, and wrote that Sunday’s rally in Kansas was the “last stop” of his 2026 midterm election campaign.
Reflecting pools were also politically tricky. President Trump’s renovation of the historic building was delayed by nearly three months and cost more than 10 times the original budget. After he declared the work complete, the “Stars and Stripes Blue” liner began to peel off, according to the Associated Press.
In an interview on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, President Trump said he would be “Mr. Veto” if he had to work with a Democratic-led Congress.
“It’s not the first time (we) have a president and he doesn’t have a Senate. They do something, you veto it, and a month or two after the veto they come and we get a deal.”
The president also indicated that he is prepared to pardon people around him if he deems it necessary.
Trump added: “If necessary, of course I would.”
Vance’s Stump in New York
Vance traveled to Rome, New York, early Monday morning to support Republican House candidates Anthony Constantino and Kylie Buller in a rally that began at 9:15 a.m. ET (14:15 p.m. Japan time).
Constantino is running to succeed longtime Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who is not seeking re-election. A Siena Institute poll shows the race could be close, despite Republicans having an advantage of about 80,000 registered voters.
“A new poll conducted by Siena Research (…) shows voters in the district still broadly support the Republican Party, but that sentiment does not necessarily translate into support for Constantino,” North Country Public Radio reported.
Buller is challenging Democratic Congressman John Mannion in the adjoining 22nd Congressional District, which includes Rome.
Questions about the Iran war
After returning from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Vance spoke to reporters about the ongoing U.S.-Israel war against Iran. President Trump had threatened to resume fighting after the midterm elections.
But Vance suggested that “good dialogue” with Iran is ongoing and that a new attack is not a foreseeable conclusion.
“Both the president and I feel pretty good about the possibility of a negotiated settlement, and we will continue to work toward it,” Vance said.
“Of course, you never know. The Iranians have always been a little unpredictable, and as the president has always said, he holds the kinetic option. He holds the non-kinetic option as well. But we’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can accomplish something more.”
Democrats target key Senate races
In Michigan, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed spent the final days before the election campaigning with Michigan Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
He also urged his supporters to vote during a rally at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
“If you’re worried about what’s going to happen, go vote,” he said.
In Texas, Democrats James Tallarico and Gina Hinojosa are making the final push for their Senate and governor races, holding a joint rally in Austin at 6:30 p.m. CT (12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Japan time).
Mr. Talarico’s opponent, Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, is scheduled to appear in Conroe at noon (6:00 p.m. Japan time), and Mr. Allen is scheduled to appear at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (12:30 p.m. Japan time).
Polls show Mr. Talarico narrowly leading Mr. Paxton, narrowing his lead over Gov. Greg Abbott and Mr. Hinojosa.
Other keys the Senate is pushing
In Maine, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson will be making campaign stops in Yarmouth, Scarborough, South Portland and Portland, with events scheduled from 9 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET.
In Iowa, Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek will tour Harlan, Onawa, Le Mars and Sioux City to meet with voters from 10 a.m. CT to 6 p.m. CT.
In Kansas, Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton will be on the road from 7:30 a.m. CT to 1 p.m. CT, addressing voters in Wichita, Topeka and Lawrence. The final event of the day has not yet been announced.
ICE in Courtroom Voting
Separately, a federal judge in Washington is scheduled to hear arguments early Monday in a lawsuit over whether immigration officials can be present at polling places. Common Cause, UnidosUS, United Latin American Citizens League (LULAC), and the City and County of Denver are challenging the U.S. government’s position that armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents may enter polling places for immigration enforcement purposes.
Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin said in September that officers would not patrol polling places, but could enter to respond to threats or execute warrants on people. Plaintiffs argue that such operations violate federal restrictions on armed personnel at polling places and can intimidate voters.
The Department of Homeland Security said ICE is not planning any operations targeting polling places.
