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President Donald Trump declared the U.S. midterm elections were “close to complete victory” the day after Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives but maintained their majority in the Senate. Patsy Widakuswara reports on the president’s combative news conference after his party’s mixed performance at the polls.
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President Donald Trump declared the U.S. midterm elections were “close to complete victory” the day after Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives but maintained their majority in the Senate. Patsy Widakuswara reports on the president’s combative news conference after his party’s mixed performance at the polls.
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U.S. President Donald Trump forced his controversial Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign Wednesday, setting up a possible showdown with newly energized congressional Democrats over the investigation of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions, in a resignation letter to Trump, wrote that he was stepping down at “your request,” accepting a fait accompli he’d long sought to avert despite Trump’s repeated public humiliations of the attorney general over his recusal from oversight of the Russia probe.

The forced departure of Sessions, a former Republican senator and early supporter of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, capped a turbulent tenure that hit a rough patch in early 2017 when he stepped aside from the Russia investigation shortly after taking office.

WATCH: Trump Asks Attorney General to Resign

Trump blamed Sessions’ recusal for the speedy appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and, over the course of the attorney general’s 20-month tenure, repeatedly castigated Sessions for failing to rein in what he called a “witch hunt” being led by Mueller and “17 Angry Democrats.”

While undertaking a wholesale repeal of Obama-era policies and implementing Trump’s tough-on-crime and immigration agenda, Sessions was increasingly shunned by the president, to the point that Trump told an interviewer earlier this year, “I don’t have an attorney general.”

In a pair of tweets Wednesday afternoon announcing Sessions’ resignation, Trump thanked the attorney general for his service and said Matt Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff and a former U.S. attorney under former President George W. Bush, would take over as acting attorney general. A permanent replacement would be announced later, Trump said.

Though long expected, Sessions’ departure fueled Democratic fears that Trump may be maneuvering to assert control over the Mueller investigation through a trusted appointee or possibly shut down it all together.

Congressional probe urged

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee and a frequent Trump critic, urged Congress to investigate “the real reason” for the attorney general’s “termination.”

At a testy White House news conference earlier Wednesday, Trump said he could end the Mueller investigation “right now,” but “I stay away from it … I let it just go on.”

Other Democratic congressional leaders, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner issued nearly identical tweets urging Whitaker to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, citing his vocal criticism of the probe.

“Given his previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the Mueller investigation, Mr. Whitaker should recuse himself from its oversight for the duration of his time as acting attorney general,” Schumer tweeted.

Whitaker served as U.S. attorney for the southern district of Iowa from 2004 to 2009. According to his LinkedIn profile, he headed Foundations for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a self-described ethics watchdog, until September 2017, shortly before joining the Justice Department.

In an opinion piece for CNN.com in July 2017, two months after Mueller’s appointment, Whitaker wrote that he agreed with Trump that investigating the president’s finances fell outside Mueller’s mandate, and he urged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to limit the special counsel’s authority.

‘In charge of all matters’

Asked whether Whitaker would take control of the Russia probe, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, “The acting attorney general is in charge of all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice.”

Flores did not directly answer questions about whether Whitaker had consulted or planned to consult Justice Department ethics experts on whether he should recuse himself from the Russia probe.

“We’re following regular order here,” she wrote via email.

John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor now with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group, said he saw no reason for Whitaker to step aside.

“He is the acting attorney general. He has no reason to recuse himself,” Malcolm told VOA.

Malcolm said Sessions did “a solid job of implementing the president’s law enforcement priorities,” and he praised the attorney general for “protecting the integrity of the department and trying to keep it above politics.”

It remains to be seen whether Trump will tap Whitaker for the job permanently and send his name to the Senate for confirmation.

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and close Trump ally, tweeted that he looked “forward to working with President Trump to find a confirmable, worthy successor.
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U.S. President Donald Trump forced his controversial Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign Wednesday, setting up a possible showdown with newly energized congressional Democrats over the investigation of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions, in a resignation letter to Trump, wrote that he was stepping down at “your request,” accepting a fait accompli he’d long sought to avert despite Trump’s repeated public humiliations of the attorney general over his recusal from oversight of the Russia probe.

The forced departure of Sessions, a former Republican senator and early supporter of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, capped a turbulent tenure that hit a rough patch in early 2017 when he stepped aside from the Russia investigation shortly after taking office.

WATCH: Trump Asks Attorney General to Resign

Trump blamed Sessions’ recusal for the speedy appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and, over the course of the attorney general’s 20-month tenure, repeatedly castigated Sessions for failing to rein in what he called a “witch hunt” being led by Mueller and “17 Angry Democrats.”

While undertaking a wholesale repeal of Obama-era policies and implementing Trump’s tough-on-crime and immigration agenda, Sessions was increasingly shunned by the president, to the point that Trump told an interviewer earlier this year, “I don’t have an attorney general.”

In a pair of tweets Wednesday afternoon announcing Sessions’ resignation, Trump thanked the attorney general for his service and said Matt Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff and a former U.S. attorney under former President George W. Bush, would take over as acting attorney general. A permanent replacement would be announced later, Trump said.

Though long expected, Sessions’ departure fueled Democratic fears that Trump may be maneuvering to assert control over the Mueller investigation through a trusted appointee or possibly shut down it all together.

Congressional probe urged

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee and a frequent Trump critic, urged Congress to investigate “the real reason” for the attorney general’s “termination.”

At a testy White House news conference earlier Wednesday, Trump said he could end the Mueller investigation “right now,” but “I stay away from it … I let it just go on.”

Other Democratic congressional leaders, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner issued nearly identical tweets urging Whitaker to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, citing his vocal criticism of the probe.

“Given his previous comments advocating defunding and imposing limitations on the Mueller investigation, Mr. Whitaker should recuse himself from its oversight for the duration of his time as acting attorney general,” Schumer tweeted.

Whitaker served as U.S. attorney for the southern district of Iowa from 2004 to 2009. According to his LinkedIn profile, he headed Foundations for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a self-described ethics watchdog, until September 2017, shortly before joining the Justice Department.

In an opinion piece for CNN.com in July 2017, two months after Mueller’s appointment, Whitaker wrote that he agreed with Trump that investigating the president’s finances fell outside Mueller’s mandate, and he urged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to limit the special counsel’s authority.

‘In charge of all matters’

Asked whether Whitaker would take control of the Russia probe, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, “The acting attorney general is in charge of all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice.”

Flores did not directly answer questions about whether Whitaker had consulted or planned to consult Justice Department ethics experts on whether he should recuse himself from the Russia probe.

“We’re following regular order here,” she wrote via email.

John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor now with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research group, said he saw no reason for Whitaker to step aside.

“He is the acting attorney general. He has no reason to recuse himself,” Malcolm told VOA.

Malcolm said Sessions did “a solid job of implementing the president’s law enforcement priorities,” and he praised the attorney general for “protecting the integrity of the department and trying to keep it above politics.”

It remains to be seen whether Trump will tap Whitaker for the job permanently and send his name to the Senate for confirmation.

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and close Trump ally, tweeted that he looked “forward to working with President Trump to find a confirmable, worthy successor.
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Results were disappointing for two Democratic candidates who vied to become the first African American governors in Florida and Georgia, after closely contested campaigns where race and identity politics were highly divisive issues. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on these two close races in traditionally conservative states.
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Shouts of “Beto 2020!” filled the air in El Paso’s 7,000 seat-capacity baseball stadium, after their underdog candidate for U.S. Senate — Beto O’Rourke — had already lost the race.

On Tuesday night, “Beto,” a 46-year-old congressman from Texas’ 16th district, lost his bid to unseat the incumbent Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, by a three-point margin, with 92 percent of precincts counted.

​AP called the race at 9:27 p.m. local, but in West Texas’ Southwest University Park, the crowd of faithful El Pasoans stayed another hour, awaiting the hometown favorite.

“Look at all the people here,” said 21-year-old Karla Amador, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso. “El Paso never votes; we’re the lowest of voter turnout. Look at the turnout. This is amazing.”

A little after 10 p.m., O’Rourke came on stage, and so did the tears. 

“It hurts. … I worked for Beto harder than I’ve worked for anyone,” said Alta Compton, who spent a year-and-a-half volunteering for the O’Rourke campaign. “It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in Texas, that there are democrats, there are liberals, and we have a voice.”

​‘A battle of ideas’

In Houston, 1,182 kilometers southeast of El Paso, Senator Cruz called the election “a battle of ideas” during his victory speech. Among his own ideas: “more jobs, more security, more freedom.”

“It was a contest for who we are and what we believe,” Cruz told his supporters. “It was a contest and the people of Texas decided this race.”

An intimate crowd of constituents at the El Paso County Republican headquarters gathered in confidence and ate cake as the night unfolded.

In interviews with VOA, Republicans shared the same priority: an opposition to “open borders.”

“This is dead wrong. You come to a place, whatever country, and you have to do it correctly, or you just don’t get in,” El Paso resident Cynthia Lyman said.

“I think seniors such as myself are frankly not going to allow this country being thrown off the cliff, and it didn’t start with O’Rourke,” Lyman added. “It started with [former President] Obama.”

Cruz, who emerged as a beneficiary of the Tea Party movement, said O’Rourke “poured his heart” into the campaign. The senator has held the position for one term after he won the seat in 2012.

He did, however, criticize the amount of money funneled into his opponent’s campaign. 

“We saw a $100 million race with Hollywood coming in against the state, with the national media coming in against the state. But all the money in the world was no match for the good people of Texas and their hard work,” Cruz said. 

Politifact, a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials, reported that O’Rourke did not receive money from private corporations.

“Cruz’s victory means everything to me,” said David Zamora. “I’m a proud Texan, and I believe he represents everything that this state is all about.”

‘A future for Beto’

“When Beto entered this race a year or so ago, we were all horrified that he would give up his seat in Congress to run for a position that he couldn’t possibly won,” said Martha Hood, at the O’Rourke rally. “And look what he’s done.”

​I think there’s a future for Texas. I think there’s a future for Beto,” Hood added.

O’Rourke lost the battle, but voters’ showing at the polls reverberated in down-ballot races. Texas democrats picked up two seats in the Texas state Senate, wearing away at its conservative base majority. 

Nationwide, democrats were on track to secure enough seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to shift the balance of power in Congress, and provide a check on President Trump’s presidency.

Driven by a record-setting war chest of $70 million in donations, many of them contributions of $25 or less, supporters in the democratic town of El Paso feel “Beto’s” name is about to become more common.

With more than 90 percent of precincts counted, O’Rourke received 74.4 percent of votes in his hometown of El Paso to Cruz’s 25 percent, as reported by The Texas Tribune.

By night’s end, O’Rourke’s election night party became a rally of hope for the party’s future. In his concession speech, O’Rourke reminded his followers to define themselves by hard work and a willingness to achieve goals.

“To build a campaign like this one solely comprised of people from all walks of life, coming together, deciding what unites us is far stronger than the color of our skin, how many generations we can count ourselves an American, or whether we just got here yesterday, who we love, we pray to, whether we pray at all, who we voted for last time, none of it matters,” O’Rourke said. 

As some speculated O’Rourke’s chances for president in 2020, the defeated candidate offered few clues with regard to his future. 

“We will see you out there, down the road,” O’Rourke said.
…

Shouts of “Beto 2020!” filled the air in El Paso’s 7,000 seat-capacity baseball stadium, after their underdog candidate for U.S. Senate — Beto O’Rourke — had already lost the race.

On Tuesday night, “Beto,” a 46-year-old congressman from Texas’ 16th district, lost his bid to unseat the incumbent Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, by a three-point margin, with 92 percent of precincts counted.

​AP called the race at 9:27 p.m. local, but in West Texas’ Southwest University Park, the crowd of faithful El Pasoans stayed another hour, awaiting the hometown favorite.

“Look at all the people here,” said 21-year-old Karla Amador, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso. “El Paso never votes; we’re the lowest of voter turnout. Look at the turnout. This is amazing.”

A little after 10 p.m., O’Rourke came on stage, and so did the tears. 

“It hurts. … I worked for Beto harder than I’ve worked for anyone,” said Alta Compton, who spent a year-and-a-half volunteering for the O’Rourke campaign. “It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in Texas, that there are democrats, there are liberals, and we have a voice.”

​‘A battle of ideas’

In Houston, 1,182 kilometers southeast of El Paso, Senator Cruz called the election “a battle of ideas” during his victory speech. Among his own ideas: “more jobs, more security, more freedom.”

“It was a contest for who we are and what we believe,” Cruz told his supporters. “It was a contest and the people of Texas decided this race.”

An intimate crowd of constituents at the El Paso County Republican headquarters gathered in confidence and ate cake as the night unfolded.

In interviews with VOA, Republicans shared the same priority: an opposition to “open borders.”

“This is dead wrong. You come to a place, whatever country, and you have to do it correctly, or you just don’t get in,” El Paso resident Cynthia Lyman said.

“I think seniors such as myself are frankly not going to allow this country being thrown off the cliff, and it didn’t start with O’Rourke,” Lyman added. “It started with [former President] Obama.”

Cruz, who emerged as a beneficiary of the Tea Party movement, said O’Rourke “poured his heart” into the campaign. The senator has held the position for one term after he won the seat in 2012.

He did, however, criticize the amount of money funneled into his opponent’s campaign. 

“We saw a $100 million race with Hollywood coming in against the state, with the national media coming in against the state. But all the money in the world was no match for the good people of Texas and their hard work,” Cruz said. 

Politifact, a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials, reported that O’Rourke did not receive money from private corporations.

“Cruz’s victory means everything to me,” said David Zamora. “I’m a proud Texan, and I believe he represents everything that this state is all about.”

‘A future for Beto’

“When Beto entered this race a year or so ago, we were all horrified that he would give up his seat in Congress to run for a position that he couldn’t possibly won,” said Martha Hood, at the O’Rourke rally. “And look what he’s done.”

​I think there’s a future for Texas. I think there’s a future for Beto,” Hood added.

O’Rourke lost the battle, but voters’ showing at the polls reverberated in down-ballot races. Texas democrats picked up two seats in the Texas state Senate, wearing away at its conservative base majority. 

Nationwide, democrats were on track to secure enough seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to shift the balance of power in Congress, and provide a check on President Trump’s presidency.

Driven by a record-setting war chest of $70 million in donations, many of them contributions of $25 or less, supporters in the democratic town of El Paso feel “Beto’s” name is about to become more common.

With more than 90 percent of precincts counted, O’Rourke received 74.4 percent of votes in his hometown of El Paso to Cruz’s 25 percent, as reported by The Texas Tribune.

By night’s end, O’Rourke’s election night party became a rally of hope for the party’s future. In his concession speech, O’Rourke reminded his followers to define themselves by hard work and a willingness to achieve goals.

“To build a campaign like this one solely comprised of people from all walks of life, coming together, deciding what unites us is far stronger than the color of our skin, how many generations we can count ourselves an American, or whether we just got here yesterday, who we love, we pray to, whether we pray at all, who we voted for last time, none of it matters,” O’Rourke said. 

As some speculated O’Rourke’s chances for president in 2020, the defeated candidate offered few clues with regard to his future. 

“We will see you out there, down the road,” O’Rourke said.
…

The balance of power shifted in Washington Tuesday as opposition Democrats won back control of the U.S. House of Representatives, dealing a political blow to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party. But Republicans expanded their majority control of the Senate, bolstering the president and setting the stage for more confrontational politics in the year ahead. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a wrap up of the election results from Washington.
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The balance of power shifted in Washington Tuesday as opposition Democrats won back control of the U.S. House of Representatives, dealing a political blow to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party. But Republicans expanded their majority control of the Senate, bolstering the president and setting the stage for more confrontational politics in the year ahead. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a wrap up of the election results from Washington.
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Riding solid gains for Democratic candidates in the U.S midterm elections are two candidates now set to make history in January, when they become the first Muslim American women in the U.S. Congress. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, expectations are high for both Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar as they seek to influence U.S. policy on issues ranging from immigration reform to foreign policy.
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Riding solid gains for Democratic candidates in the U.S midterm elections are two candidates now set to make history in January, when they become the first Muslim American women in the U.S. Congress. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, expectations are high for both Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar as they seek to influence U.S. policy on issues ranging from immigration reform to foreign policy.
…

As Election Day unfolds Tuesday in the United States, prominent American political figures are offering their thoughts on the national elections that will determine who controls Congress for the next two years as the country inches closer to the 2020 presidential election.

Here is what some of them said:

Former Vice President Joe Biden, possibly a Democratic challenger to Republican President Donald Trump in the next race for the White House, said he would be “dumbfounded” if Democrats do not win back the House of Representatives.

“This is the single most important off-year election in my lifetime,” said Biden, his voice hoarse from campaign speeches in recent days. “It’s about the character of the country.”

​Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, said his father’s “name is not on the ballot, but America is winning. We’re winning with everything right now.”

Trump claimed his father has “made America the greatest country in the world.”

“If that army of Trump gets out there today, we win,” he said. “This country is winning. I mean, we are winning. … Our country is doing awesome.”

Vice President Mike Pence wrote in an opinion article in USA Today, “While Republicans have delivered results, Democrats have chosen a one-word agenda: Resist.”

“Democrats’ policies are even more liberal — and dangerous — than ever before,” Pence said. “They want massive tax hikes, weaker borders and a complete government takeover of health care that would hurt our families and seniors.”

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, said on Twitter: “For the past two years, we’ve watched this administration attack and undermine our democratic institutions and values. Today, we say enough.”

“But we won’t just vote against radicalism, bigotry, and corruption today,” she said. “We’ll vote for fantastic candidates all over the country—including a historic number of women—who want to raise wages, fight for justice, and help more people get health care.”

In a New York Times opinion article, former FBI director James B. Comey, fired by Trump last year, decried the “lying, misogyny, racism and attacks on the rule of law from our president” and urged Americans to vote based on their values. He said he is optimistic the United States eventually will recover from “the current leadership of our country and the ugly undercurrent on which it thrives.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he is “cautiously optimistic” that Republicans would keep the House majority after Tuesday’s midterm elections, citing a strong U.S. economy and the Republicans’ record in Congress.

But he acknowledged in a Fox News interview that Republicans could lose their House majority control. “History is not our friend,” he said, noting U.S. political trends weigh against the political party that controls the White House, in this case Republicans, in elections halfway through a president’s four-year term.
…

As Election Day unfolds Tuesday in the United States, prominent American political figures are offering their thoughts on the national elections that will determine who controls Congress for the next two years as the country inches closer to the 2020 presidential election.

Here is what some of them said:

Former Vice President Joe Biden, possibly a Democratic challenger to Republican President Donald Trump in the next race for the White House, said he would be “dumbfounded” if Democrats do not win back the House of Representatives.

“This is the single most important off-year election in my lifetime,” said Biden, his voice hoarse from campaign speeches in recent days. “It’s about the character of the country.”

​Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, said his father’s “name is not on the ballot, but America is winning. We’re winning with everything right now.”

Trump claimed his father has “made America the greatest country in the world.”

“If that army of Trump gets out there today, we win,” he said. “This country is winning. I mean, we are winning. … Our country is doing awesome.”

Vice President Mike Pence wrote in an opinion article in USA Today, “While Republicans have delivered results, Democrats have chosen a one-word agenda: Resist.”

“Democrats’ policies are even more liberal — and dangerous — than ever before,” Pence said. “They want massive tax hikes, weaker borders and a complete government takeover of health care that would hurt our families and seniors.”

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, said on Twitter: “For the past two years, we’ve watched this administration attack and undermine our democratic institutions and values. Today, we say enough.”

“But we won’t just vote against radicalism, bigotry, and corruption today,” she said. “We’ll vote for fantastic candidates all over the country—including a historic number of women—who want to raise wages, fight for justice, and help more people get health care.”

In a New York Times opinion article, former FBI director James B. Comey, fired by Trump last year, decried the “lying, misogyny, racism and attacks on the rule of law from our president” and urged Americans to vote based on their values. He said he is optimistic the United States eventually will recover from “the current leadership of our country and the ugly undercurrent on which it thrives.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he is “cautiously optimistic” that Republicans would keep the House majority after Tuesday’s midterm elections, citing a strong U.S. economy and the Republicans’ record in Congress.

But he acknowledged in a Fox News interview that Republicans could lose their House majority control. “History is not our friend,” he said, noting U.S. political trends weigh against the political party that controls the White House, in this case Republicans, in elections halfway through a president’s four-year term.
…

Despite concerns about foreign interference, the 2018 U.S. midterm election launched to a relatively uneventful start Tuesday morning with federal monitors reporting no attempted disruptions.

While still early in a pivotal voting day that will shape the direction of the country for the next two years, absent were reports of a much-feared cyber assault on election systems by Russia or other foreign actors. By all accounts, ballot casting in the country’s 170,000 voting centers was free from major hiccups or interference.

A Department of Homeland Security official said intelligence agencies had seen no sign of a “coordinated campaign” to disrupt Tuesday’s election. There has been “run of the mill” cyber activity during the day but “certainly nothing that could be attributed back to Russia,” the official said.

“We’re not aware of any substantial impacts on voting,” the official said during a press briefing with reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, there were reports of long lines and malfunctioning election machines during the early hours of voting, with some of the biggest problems reported in Georgia.

In the lead-up to Tuesday’s vote, there were persistent worries that U.S. adversaries might attempt to disrupt the election in a reprise of Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential vote. As early as August, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned that the threat of Russian interference was “real” and “continuing.

U.S. agencies logged some 160 reports of suspected foreign interference in recent months, and social media networks have taken down hundreds of suspicious accounts. But the incidents have not risen to the level of 2016, when Kremlin-linked cyber actors targeted the election systems of at least 21 U.S. states and orchestrated one of the largest influence operations in history to sway the outcome of the vote.

“We haven’t seen anything that is alarming,” said John Gilligan, executive chairman of the Center for Internet Security, which has deployed intrusion detection sensors into the election systems of 43 states, said last week.

Decentralized voting leaves security to local officials

The United States has a highly decentralized election system, with virtually all elections administered by state and local governments.  However, in the two years since the Russian attack, U.S. states have worked closely with a host of federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Directorate of National Intelligence to boost their cyber defenses and the integrity of their election systems.The DHS has conducted on-site threat assessments in 21 states while network intrusion detection sensors have been deployed.

“We realize this is a complicated issue, with high interest from malicious actors, but together we have collaborated with IT professionals, the private sector, the federal government and others to do everything in our power to safeguard election infrastructure and restore voter confidence,” Jim Condos, Vermont Secretary of State and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, said in a statement on Friday.

Top U.S. security officials have offered similar assurances in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.

“At this time we have no indication of compromise of our nation’s election infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts, or disrupt the ability to tally votes,” said the DNI’s Coats, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in a joint statement released late Monday.

Still, the officials warned that “Americans should be aware that foreign actors and Russia in particular continue to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions.”

Voter suppression, fraud concerns

Although potential foreign interference has drawn the most attention, allegations of voter suppression and potential voter fraud emerged as partisan issues in what is a recurring controversy in U.S. elections.

A recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University estimated that in the last two years, at least eight states have adopted “more stringent voting laws” while in the last eight years, 23 states have tightened voting rules such as instituting stricter ID requirements.

Concerned that these laws disenfranchise voters, the Brennan Center, the ACLU, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and other civil rights organizations have taken the states to court.

“This has been a year [in] which we have been fighting an aggressive and relentless campaign of voter suppression across the country,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. 

Conservative critics and President Donald Trump say the focus on voter suppression is a distraction from what they see as a greater concern: voter fraud.

Earlier this year, Trump disbanded his voter fraud commission that was created to study alleged election fraud in the 2016 vote. The commission had no success validating the president’s claims that millions of fraudulent ballots were cast in the 2016 election.

Aging voting systems

Aging voting machines and election systems that produce no paper trail have been another source of concern during the current elections  and cause of voting irregularities reported during early voting in several states.

Forty-three states use voting machines that are no longer made, according to the Brennan Center. Five states – Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, and South Carolina rely exclusively on touchscreen systems that produce no paper trail while eight others use them in some of their jurisdictions.

Nine states with toss-up or competitive House, Senate or gubernatorial races still use paperless voting machines, according to the Brennan Center. Those states include Georgia, where Democrat Stacey Abrams is running against Republican Brian Kemp, and Texas where Democratic Representative Beto O’Rourke is challenging Republican Senator Ted Cruz. 
…

Despite concerns about foreign interference, the 2018 U.S. midterm election launched to a relatively uneventful start Tuesday morning with federal monitors reporting no attempted disruptions.

While still early in a pivotal voting day that will shape the direction of the country for the next two years, absent were reports of a much-feared cyber assault on election systems by Russia or other foreign actors. By all accounts, ballot casting in the country’s 170,000 voting centers was free from major hiccups or interference.

A Department of Homeland Security official said intelligence agencies had seen no sign of a “coordinated campaign” to disrupt Tuesday’s election. There has been “run of the mill” cyber activity during the day but “certainly nothing that could be attributed back to Russia,” the official said.

“We’re not aware of any substantial impacts on voting,” the official said during a press briefing with reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, there were reports of long lines and malfunctioning election machines during the early hours of voting, with some of the biggest problems reported in Georgia.

In the lead-up to Tuesday’s vote, there were persistent worries that U.S. adversaries might attempt to disrupt the election in a reprise of Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential vote. As early as August, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned that the threat of Russian interference was “real” and “continuing.

U.S. agencies logged some 160 reports of suspected foreign interference in recent months, and social media networks have taken down hundreds of suspicious accounts. But the incidents have not risen to the level of 2016, when Kremlin-linked cyber actors targeted the election systems of at least 21 U.S. states and orchestrated one of the largest influence operations in history to sway the outcome of the vote.

“We haven’t seen anything that is alarming,” said John Gilligan, executive chairman of the Center for Internet Security, which has deployed intrusion detection sensors into the election systems of 43 states, said last week.

Decentralized voting leaves security to local officials

The United States has a highly decentralized election system, with virtually all elections administered by state and local governments.  However, in the two years since the Russian attack, U.S. states have worked closely with a host of federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Directorate of National Intelligence to boost their cyber defenses and the integrity of their election systems.The DHS has conducted on-site threat assessments in 21 states while network intrusion detection sensors have been deployed.

“We realize this is a complicated issue, with high interest from malicious actors, but together we have collaborated with IT professionals, the private sector, the federal government and others to do everything in our power to safeguard election infrastructure and restore voter confidence,” Jim Condos, Vermont Secretary of State and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, said in a statement on Friday.

Top U.S. security officials have offered similar assurances in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.

“At this time we have no indication of compromise of our nation’s election infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts, or disrupt the ability to tally votes,” said the DNI’s Coats, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in a joint statement released late Monday.

Still, the officials warned that “Americans should be aware that foreign actors and Russia in particular continue to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions.”

Voter suppression, fraud concerns

Although potential foreign interference has drawn the most attention, allegations of voter suppression and potential voter fraud emerged as partisan issues in what is a recurring controversy in U.S. elections.

A recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University estimated that in the last two years, at least eight states have adopted “more stringent voting laws” while in the last eight years, 23 states have tightened voting rules such as instituting stricter ID requirements.

Concerned that these laws disenfranchise voters, the Brennan Center, the ACLU, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and other civil rights organizations have taken the states to court.

“This has been a year [in] which we have been fighting an aggressive and relentless campaign of voter suppression across the country,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. 

Conservative critics and President Donald Trump say the focus on voter suppression is a distraction from what they see as a greater concern: voter fraud.

Earlier this year, Trump disbanded his voter fraud commission that was created to study alleged election fraud in the 2016 vote. The commission had no success validating the president’s claims that millions of fraudulent ballots were cast in the 2016 election.

Aging voting systems

Aging voting machines and election systems that produce no paper trail have been another source of concern during the current elections  and cause of voting irregularities reported during early voting in several states.

Forty-three states use voting machines that are no longer made, according to the Brennan Center. Five states – Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, and South Carolina rely exclusively on touchscreen systems that produce no paper trail while eight others use them in some of their jurisdictions.

Nine states with toss-up or competitive House, Senate or gubernatorial races still use paperless voting machines, according to the Brennan Center. Those states include Georgia, where Democrat Stacey Abrams is running against Republican Brian Kemp, and Texas where Democratic Representative Beto O’Rourke is challenging Republican Senator Ted Cruz. 
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President Donald Trump said on Monday he would nominate a new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by the end of the week and that more changes in his Cabinet may be coming.

Trump said last week he was seriously considering naming U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to the post to succeed Nikki Haley, who said on Oct. 9 she would resign at the end of the year.

“I’ll announce before the end of the week the U.N. ambassador,” Trump told reporters before leaving Washington for another series of campaign rallies a day before the congressional midterm elections.

“Administrations make changes usually after midterms, and probably we’ll be right in that category, too,” Trump added. “I think it’s very customary. No timeline. For the most part I love my Cabinet. We have some really talented people.”

Haley was the latest in a string of senior Trump administration figures to quit, although she made her announcement in the Oval Office sitting next to Trump, who praised her for doing “an incredible job.”

White House counsel Don McGahn’s departure was announced in August and he has left. Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency chief, resigned on July 5 under fire over ethics controversies.

In response to reporters’ questions as he left for a rally in Cleveland, Trump said he was not planning to replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Last month, Trump said Mattis “may leave” and that he regarded him as “sort of a Democrat.”

He also said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was doing a “good job.” Zinke has been under at least three probes by the Interior Department’s inspector general over ethics questions. Last month, the inspector general sent one of the probes to the Justice Department, increasing the chances that Zinke could face a criminal investigation.

Trump did not answer when asked about Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he has frequently criticized.
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President Donald Trump said on Monday he would nominate a new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by the end of the week and that more changes in his Cabinet may be coming.

Trump said last week he was seriously considering naming U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to the post to succeed Nikki Haley, who said on Oct. 9 she would resign at the end of the year.

“I’ll announce before the end of the week the U.N. ambassador,” Trump told reporters before leaving Washington for another series of campaign rallies a day before the congressional midterm elections.

“Administrations make changes usually after midterms, and probably we’ll be right in that category, too,” Trump added. “I think it’s very customary. No timeline. For the most part I love my Cabinet. We have some really talented people.”

Haley was the latest in a string of senior Trump administration figures to quit, although she made her announcement in the Oval Office sitting next to Trump, who praised her for doing “an incredible job.”

White House counsel Don McGahn’s departure was announced in August and he has left. Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency chief, resigned on July 5 under fire over ethics controversies.

In response to reporters’ questions as he left for a rally in Cleveland, Trump said he was not planning to replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Last month, Trump said Mattis “may leave” and that he regarded him as “sort of a Democrat.”

He also said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was doing a “good job.” Zinke has been under at least three probes by the Interior Department’s inspector general over ethics questions. Last month, the inspector general sent one of the probes to the Justice Department, increasing the chances that Zinke could face a criminal investigation.

Trump did not answer when asked about Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he has frequently criticized.
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Sharply divided U.S. voters head to the polls Tuesday to elect a new Congress and to render a midterm judgment on President Donald Trump. The results of Tuesday’s election could shift the balance of power in Washington and alter the next two years of Trump’s presidency, as we hear from VOA National correspondent Jim Malone.
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Using Air Force One as a campaign shuttle, U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Ohio, Indiana and Missouri on Monday, the eve of midterm balloting that is perceived as the biggest referendum yet on his presidency.

Trump acknowledged as much earlier in the day on a conference call with supporters, saying the media views Tuesday’s election as a referendum on him.

“If we don’t have a good day, they will make it like it’s the end of the world,” Trump said. “Don’t worry. If we do have a good day, they won’t give us any credit.”

There were 200,000 people listening on the call, according to Brad Parscale, the Trump/Pence campaign manager.

“There’s a great electricity in the air,” Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for the flight to Ohio. “I think we’re going to do very well.”

Speaking in Cleveland — where he labeled candidates of the Democratic Party as “socialists” — Trump told the crowd that Tuesday is their chance “to send a message to the Democrat mob” and “stop the radical resistance in its tracks.” 

At a second rally of the day in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the president continued that theme, asserting that “if the radical Democrats take power, they will take a wrecking ball to the economy and the future of our country.” He also called on the attendees to vote for Republicans “to end the assault on America’s sovereignty” by Democrats.    

Trump then traveled to Cape Girardeau in the state of Missouri for a third, similar political event.

“It really is unprecedented,” said political science professor David Cohen at the University of Akron in Ohio. “No president has ever campaigned as much in the midterms as Trump has.”

Cohen told VOA that Trump’s strategy is unwise.

“His controversial remarks — all it does is energize the base of the Democrats and the independents to get out there and vote against him,” Cohen said.

Others see the Trump events — where Air Force One serves as the backdrop for appearances in airport hangars — of significant value to the governing party.

“The kind of people that come to them are not typical Republicans. They are Trumpsters. Getting that segment of the electorate out in 2016 was critical to Trump’s win in 2016, and getting them out to vote in 2018 can only help Republicans,” said University of New Hampshire political science professor Andrew Smith.

“Midterm elections are all about differential turnout,” Smith, who is also director of the UNH Survey Center, told VOA. “Democrats have been motivated to vote ever since Trump won in 2016, while Republicans have been far less motivated. Anytime Trump goes anywhere, he commands media attention and is therefore driving the news cycle.”

Obama appearances

Trump has been getting some competition for media attention in recent days from his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The two-term Democrat has been making campaign appearances on behalf of state and congressional candidates, a break with tradition where former presidents are rarely active in midterm elections so soon after leaving office.

“President George W. Bush has been largely absent from all politics, as was his father. And Bill Clinton waited some time after he left office before he got on the campaign trail. And when he did, it had the additional benefit of helping his wife’s campaign,” Smith noted. “Obama’s barnstorming is something that we have not seen, and I think it is an indication that he takes the Trump presidency as a rebuff of his own performance as president.”

In northern Virginia on Monday, Obama said “how we conduct ourselves in public life is on the ballot,” a lightly veiled criticism of Trump and some prominent Republican candidates.

“What I’m seeing all across the country is this great awakening,” Obama added, standing alongside incumbent Senator Tim Kaine and congressional nominee Jennifer Wexton in a campaign office. “In that great awakening, I feel hopeful.”

Predictions

Prominent pollsters predict the Republicans will retain control of the Senate. While cautioning some key congressional races are statistical dead heats, pollsters note more House districts trending toward the Democrats in recent days and expect Republicans will lose their majority in that chamber.

Such an outcome would halt the president’s ability to get key legislation approved, and would put the chairpersons’ gavels of committees in the hands of Democrats certain to launch an array of investigations into the Trump administration.

While Obama will deserve some of the credit for helping to drive turnout for the Democrats, according to Cohen, “it was going to be a bad election, anyway, for the president just based on his unpopularity throughout the country.”

Thus, if Republicans lose control of the House on Tuesday, Cohen contends, “the blame should fall squarely on Trump’s shoulders.”
…

Using Air Force One as a campaign shuttle, U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Ohio, Indiana and Missouri on Monday, the eve of midterm balloting that is perceived as the biggest referendum yet on his presidency.

Trump acknowledged as much earlier in the day on a conference call with supporters, saying the media views Tuesday’s election as a referendum on him.

“If we don’t have a good day, they will make it like it’s the end of the world,” Trump said. “Don’t worry. If we do have a good day, they won’t give us any credit.”

There were 200,000 people listening on the call, according to Brad Parscale, the Trump/Pence campaign manager.

“There’s a great electricity in the air,” Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for the flight to Ohio. “I think we’re going to do very well.”

Speaking in Cleveland — where he labeled candidates of the Democratic Party as “socialists” — Trump told the crowd that Tuesday is their chance “to send a message to the Democrat mob” and “stop the radical resistance in its tracks.” 

At a second rally of the day in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the president continued that theme, asserting that “if the radical Democrats take power, they will take a wrecking ball to the economy and the future of our country.” He also called on the attendees to vote for Republicans “to end the assault on America’s sovereignty” by Democrats.    

Trump then traveled to Cape Girardeau in the state of Missouri for a third, similar political event.

“It really is unprecedented,” said political science professor David Cohen at the University of Akron in Ohio. “No president has ever campaigned as much in the midterms as Trump has.”

Cohen told VOA that Trump’s strategy is unwise.

“His controversial remarks — all it does is energize the base of the Democrats and the independents to get out there and vote against him,” Cohen said.

Others see the Trump events — where Air Force One serves as the backdrop for appearances in airport hangars — of significant value to the governing party.

“The kind of people that come to them are not typical Republicans. They are Trumpsters. Getting that segment of the electorate out in 2016 was critical to Trump’s win in 2016, and getting them out to vote in 2018 can only help Republicans,” said University of New Hampshire political science professor Andrew Smith.

“Midterm elections are all about differential turnout,” Smith, who is also director of the UNH Survey Center, told VOA. “Democrats have been motivated to vote ever since Trump won in 2016, while Republicans have been far less motivated. Anytime Trump goes anywhere, he commands media attention and is therefore driving the news cycle.”

Obama appearances

Trump has been getting some competition for media attention in recent days from his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The two-term Democrat has been making campaign appearances on behalf of state and congressional candidates, a break with tradition where former presidents are rarely active in midterm elections so soon after leaving office.

“President George W. Bush has been largely absent from all politics, as was his father. And Bill Clinton waited some time after he left office before he got on the campaign trail. And when he did, it had the additional benefit of helping his wife’s campaign,” Smith noted. “Obama’s barnstorming is something that we have not seen, and I think it is an indication that he takes the Trump presidency as a rebuff of his own performance as president.”

In northern Virginia on Monday, Obama said “how we conduct ourselves in public life is on the ballot,” a lightly veiled criticism of Trump and some prominent Republican candidates.

“What I’m seeing all across the country is this great awakening,” Obama added, standing alongside incumbent Senator Tim Kaine and congressional nominee Jennifer Wexton in a campaign office. “In that great awakening, I feel hopeful.”

Predictions

Prominent pollsters predict the Republicans will retain control of the Senate. While cautioning some key congressional races are statistical dead heats, pollsters note more House districts trending toward the Democrats in recent days and expect Republicans will lose their majority in that chamber.

Such an outcome would halt the president’s ability to get key legislation approved, and would put the chairpersons’ gavels of committees in the hands of Democrats certain to launch an array of investigations into the Trump administration.

While Obama will deserve some of the credit for helping to drive turnout for the Democrats, according to Cohen, “it was going to be a bad election, anyway, for the president just based on his unpopularity throughout the country.”

Thus, if Republicans lose control of the House on Tuesday, Cohen contends, “the blame should fall squarely on Trump’s shoulders.”
…

The big names were on the campaign trail Sunday, two days before a midterm election with control of Congress at stake.

Americans vote Tuesday for all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats, as well as for numerous state governors, local offices and ballot questions.

President Donald Trump led rallies for Republicans in Georgia and Tennessee Sunday. Trump is not up for reelection this year. But Tuesday’s vote could be regarded as a referendum on his first two years.

Campaigning for Georgia’s Republican candidate for governor, Brian Kemp, Trump said “radical Democrats want to take a giant wrecking ball to our economy and our future.”

The president told the crowd “Republicans produce jobs, Democrats produce mobs. ”

He warned Georgians that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – who is trying to become the first black woman ever to be elected a U.S. governor  – would turn the state into Venezuela.

Campaigning for Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly in Gary, Indiana, former Presided Barack Obama said it was his Democratic administration that started the economic recovery after the severe recession of 2008.

Obama said he created more jobs in his last 21 months as president than Trump has in his first 21 months.

Obama accused the Republican-controlled Congress of trying to turn back the policies and progress made under his administration. He also mocked Trump for saying he wants to help the little guy, followed by huge tax cuts for the wealthy.  

Obama also campaigned Sunday in his hometown of Chicago.

Political analysts predict Democrats will win control of the House Tuesday, while Republicans will keep their narrow hold on the Senate and possibly gain as many as two seats.

But with a huge number of people taking part in early voting, some analysts give Democrats a slight chance of winning the Senate too.

Democratic control of either body could hamper Trump’s legislative agenda over the next two years. Some Democrats have even promised to open investigations of the president’s business interests and finances.
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The big names were on the campaign trail Sunday, two days before a midterm election with control of Congress at stake.

Americans vote Tuesday for all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats, as well as for numerous state governors, local offices and ballot questions.

President Donald Trump led rallies for Republicans in Georgia and Tennessee Sunday. Trump is not up for reelection this year. But Tuesday’s vote could be regarded as a referendum on his first two years.

Campaigning for Georgia’s Republican candidate for governor, Brian Kemp, Trump said “radical Democrats want to take a giant wrecking ball to our economy and our future.”

The president told the crowd “Republicans produce jobs, Democrats produce mobs. ”

He warned Georgians that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams – who is trying to become the first black woman ever to be elected a U.S. governor  – would turn the state into Venezuela.

Campaigning for Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly in Gary, Indiana, former Presided Barack Obama said it was his Democratic administration that started the economic recovery after the severe recession of 2008.

Obama said he created more jobs in his last 21 months as president than Trump has in his first 21 months.

Obama accused the Republican-controlled Congress of trying to turn back the policies and progress made under his administration. He also mocked Trump for saying he wants to help the little guy, followed by huge tax cuts for the wealthy.  

Obama also campaigned Sunday in his hometown of Chicago.

Political analysts predict Democrats will win control of the House Tuesday, while Republicans will keep their narrow hold on the Senate and possibly gain as many as two seats.

But with a huge number of people taking part in early voting, some analysts give Democrats a slight chance of winning the Senate too.

Democratic control of either body could hamper Trump’s legislative agenda over the next two years. Some Democrats have even promised to open investigations of the president’s business interests and finances.
…

Voter enthusiasm is high and suspense is building before Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections that will determine which political party controls both houses of Congress as well as dozens of governorships and state legislatures nationwide. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports, Tuesday’s outcome will impact President Donald Trump’s ability to enact his agenda in the second half of his four-year term in office
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