Trump votes early in Florida, then attacks Jon Ossoff at Georgia rally before midterms

Early vote in Palm Beach

Donald Trump cast an early ballot on Saturday, 24 October, in Palm Beach County, Florida, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. The midterm elections take place on 3 November. He spoke to reporters after voting, even though he had criticised early voting for years. Asked whether he had voted for Republican candidates, he replied affirmatively. He now urges Republican voters to cast their ballots early to boost turnout.

Georgia rally

After voting, Trump flew to Georgia to back the Republican candidacies of Mike Collins and Rick Jackson. At a rally in Perry, he attacked the Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, accusing him of admitting migrants described as criminals from Libya and other African countries. He also claimed Ossoff had ruined Atlanta and mocked his looks. During the speech he made a derogatory remark about Somalia, an insult that ANSA reports he had used before.

Ukraine and Iran

Trump told reporters that Melania Trump had recently helped secure a ceasefire in the Oleshki region of Ukraine, allowing an evacuation, and said she was handling the matter better than professionals. He again said he wanted a lasting ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow as soon as possible, so the United States could do business with both countries once the war ends. Asked whether he was weighing a new strike on Tehran, he declined to rule it out while leaving room for a deal. He questioned whether Iran would keep any agreement it made.

Corruption worries in polls

A nationwide survey by the FT and Focaldata found that about 69% of registered voters were very or somewhat concerned about corruption, self-dealing or conflicts of interest in the Trump administration. Almost half of those who backed him in 2024 shared that concern, and nearly half of all registered voters said corruption had been more of a problem in his second term than under earlier administrations. The findings came as Americans faced high fuel costs that the FT links to what it calls Trump's unpopular war with Iran.

Voters can tolerate some economic pain, as long as they believe it is shared.

Jeremy Ney, a Columbia Business School professor, made that point about the public mood. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle rejected the criticism, saying Trump had launched an "all-out war on fraud across the entire federal government" and that there were "no conflicts of interest". A fundraising email sent on Saturday and titled "Farewell President Trump" warned supporters they might soon have to say goodbye, predicting Democrats would file impeachment articles against him on day one. Democratic leaders remain wary of starting impeachment, since without a two-thirds Senate majority they could not secure a conviction.

Farm aid and the economy

Trump has promised 8 billion in extra subsidies for farmers hit by the surge in diesel prices. His campaign is concentrating on the Republican-leaning states that carried his rise to power. The Telegraph reports that GDP remains strong, yet inflation is squeezing Americans through higher fuel, food and borrowing costs. Les Echos notes that economic conditions often decide how Americans vote, and that his foreign policy is weighing on him two weeks before the midterms.