Ahead Midterms

• Former President Donald Trump delivered a prime-time address on Thursday night claiming there are significant vulnerabilities in the U.S. election system. • The claims made during the speech were largely unsupported by the evidence provided, according to the Los Angeles Times. • This effort is viewed as a strategy by Trump and his allies to sow mistrust among voters regarding election security ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

• President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address on Thursday to challenge the legitimacy of U.S. elections and dispute his 2020 loss. • The speech served as a strategic appeal for the implementation of more restrictive voting laws across the country. • This effort is part of a yearslong campaign by Trump to cast doubt on the electoral process, intensifying political polarization.

• Donald Trump has alleged "shocking vulnerabilities" in U.S. election security and accused China of meddling in the 2020 election, contradicting previous U.S. intelligence findings. • The claims coincide with a partisan divide over new legislation, which Republicans argue is necessary to prevent voter fraud while Democrats claim it disenfranchises eligible voters. • Additional tensions are highlighted by Melania Trump expressing concern over Joe Biden's performance and allegations that Biden improperly referenced classified information during interviews.

• The Supreme Court ruled that state laws, rather than federal statutes, determine the deadlines for when mail-in ballots must be received and counted. • The decision follows a challenge by Republicans who argued that federal law required all ballots to be counted by Election Day instead of allowing a multi-day grace period. • The ruling is significant as it preserves the ability of various states to extend counting deadlines, potentially impacting the finality of midterm election results.

Ousted Republican congressman says his party is facing ‘Trump disappointment syndrome’ over president’s agendaDonald Trump’s Republican party is on course for a damaging rejection at the ballot box in November, according to a maverick US congressman ousted by a challenger handpicked by the president.Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, became the latest of Trump’s targets to be defeated in the party’s primaries this week. He had repeatedly broken with the president over military action against Iran, government spending and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Continue reading...

Reuters-Ipsos, AP-NORC and NBC polls show approval in mid-30s, with economy, Iran and immigration concernsUS politics live – latest updatesA trio of political polls indicate public approval of Donald Trump’s management of the US economy, immigration and the Iran conflict is slipping, flashing warning lights for Trump-aligned Republican candidates with six months to go until the US midterm elections.Polls by Reuters-Ipsos poll, Strength in Numbers-Verasight and AP-NORC had the president’s approval rating hovering in the mid-30s, at 36%, 35% and 33% respectively, which are near his lowest numbers. Continue reading...

Elections seem top-of-mind for the Maha movement as key polling indicates anti-vaccine views are a liabilityUS health officials appear to be shying away from voicing negative views of vaccines in public as November’s midterm elections loom and key polling indicates anti-vaccine views are a liability.Health officials have made unprecedented changes to routine vaccine recommendations in the past year – slashing one-third of the US childhood schedule, including the recommendation for hepatitis B immunization at birth. But even before a federal judge essentially invalidated these moves, officials haven’t championed their dramatic changes after Donald Trump’s pollsters recommended veering away from anti-vaccine ideology ahead of the midterms. Continue reading...

Case focuses on RNC’s challenge to a Mississippi law that allows ballots to count if they are arrive after election dayUS politics live – latest updatesThe US supreme court is hearing arguments Monday about whether mail-in ballots can be counted if they arrive after election day, which would affect laws in more than a dozen states during a midterm election year.The justice are considering Watson v Republican National Committee, a challenge over a Mississippi state law that was brought in 2024 by the Republican party. Mississippi allows mailed ballots to be counted if they arrive within five business days of election day, so long as they were postmarked by election day. Fourteen states, Washington DC and three US territories have similar laws that allow for late-arriving ballots to be counted. Continue reading...

• Republican candidates are encountering challenges mobilizing voters for the 2026 midterm elections as President Trump continues promoting claims about election integrity and potential fraud, creating messaging conflicts. • NPR analysis indicates that the more Trump emphasizes election rigging or claims Democrats will win despite Republican efforts, the harder it becomes to energize GOP voters who may grow discouraged or cynical about electoral outcomes. • Political observers note that voters are already highly polarized, making traditional persuasion efforts difficult, while Republican turnout could suffer if messaging emphasizes electoral vulnerabilities rather than party strength and accomplishments.

President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on March 13, 2026, directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds to lower home buying costs. The orders aim to limit financial institutions' ability to buy single-family homes and cap credit card interest rates, responding to median home prices hitting $398,000 in February—nearly five times the median household income. Housing affordability has become a pivotal issue threatening GOP midterm prospects, especially among voters under 40, amid a bipartisan Senate bill passed Thursday to boost construction. White House officials anticipate mortgage regulation changes could impact buyers within months.