The shadow of former President Donald Trump has hung over the US midterm election campaign, seeking to sponsor several Republicans for Congress but dividing the ranks of his party.
Almost two years after his departure from the White House, Trump’s shadow still hangs over the Republican Party and there are many candidates for Congress who seek the sponsorship of the former president, despite the fact that he is under several judicial investigations, either for alleged removal of confidential information. government documents or suspected tax and bank fraud.
Trump’s influence in the upcoming midterm elections, scheduled for November 8, brings another risk: After the former president rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election, many candidates he supports are also beginning to warn that he may do not accept the verdict of the voters, which can lead to political chaos.
Fortunately for Democrats, Republicans are highly divided, with Senate party leader Mitch McConnell criticizing Trump-endorsed candidates, not least because so many of them are investing in this climate of suspicion about the electoral process.
This atmosphere of suspicion interests Republicans, and especially Trump, in an election that is also seen as a kind of referendum on the current president and his performance in the White House.
To counteract this strategy, the Democratic candidates insist on the formula of discrediting the conspiracy theories surrounding the electoral results (emphasizing the conclusions of the investigative commissions on the attack on the Capitol, where Trump and his followers came out very badly, and where the former president may still experience additional difficulties, being required to give affidavits).
On the other hand, the Democrats seek to transfer the debate to the field of social measures, praising the way in which Biden and his team seek to stop the signs of recession in the economy, in particular by supporting the most disadvantaged, and investment. in infrastructure, with multi-million dollar packages.
The fight against violent crimes, changes to the electoral law to avoid discriminating against minorities and the universal right to abortion are other issues that the Democratic candidates seek to highlight, knowing the weaknesses of their opponents in different sectors of the electorate, including in the most conservative states…
It is no coincidence that in recent days, current President Joe Biden (who is already on the ground campaigning for Democratic candidates) has appeared at rallies with a strong speech in defense of abortion, especially addressing the conscience of voters.
“If you want to protect a woman’s right to decide for herself, then she should go vote!” Biden said onstage at a rally in Washington state.
On the other hand, the Republicans are committed to discrediting Biden’s economic strategy, emphasizing the expense of his measures and, in particular, his intention to increase taxes that can affect the well-being of families and the recovery capacity of companies.
But the Republicans are also playing their “cards” in the field of urban violence, an issue that is dominating the pre-election campaign that has already started, with their candidates recalling that there are several of their opponents who defend a cut in the budgets. of the police forces.
These issues are important for the candidates for Congress, but also for the candidates for the 36 governorships that will be at stake in the November elections.
Some of these electoral contests are being watched with special attention from Washington for the signs they may provide for the 2024 presidential elections.
One of the most mediatic campaigns is the one in Arizona, where Republican Kari Lake faces Democrat Katie Hobbs, who was one of the most active voices in denouncing and condemning Trump’s attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. , becoming one of the favorite political targets of the former president and his party.
A victory for Hobbs will always be interpreted as a personal defeat for Trump, who has gone out of his way to help Lake’s candidacy.
The governorship in Florida may also be relevant, in this case to see if the Republican Ron DeSantis can be re-elected and if his eventual victory elevates him to the status of presidential candidate, facing Trump in this internal race.
In Florida, attention is also being paid to the electoral race for the Senate between the Republican Marco Rubio (several times a candidate for the presidency and a relevant figure in his party) and the Democrat Val Demings.
The truth is that the day after the November midterm elections, political analysts will start talking about the 2024 presidential election, particularly if the Democrats suffer a loss.
Source: TSF
