By Karim Hammam
President Donald Trump is confronting bleak midterm election forecasts less than a week before the November 3 vote, with even Trump-friendly Fox News predicting Democrats will retake control of the House of Representatives. The network's latest Power Rankings show the Senate as a toss-up, with Democrats projected to win 48 seats against 47 for Republicans and five races too close to call. An Ipsos analysis gives Democrats a 9-point advantage among voters, with 53 percent leaning toward Democratic candidates compared to 44 percent for Republicans.
Trump intensifies campaign schedule
Trump has embarked on a midterm campaign blitz, visiting Texas for the third time this month to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. On Wednesday, he traveled to Ohio to campaign alongside Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Jon Husted, whose athletic physique the president has repeatedly praised. Vice President JD Vance simultaneously campaigned in North Carolina for Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who trails Democratic challenger Roy Cooper in polls for the seat being vacated by Senator Thom Tillis.
Democrats mobilize high-profile surrogates
Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Georgia on Wednesday for Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, who leads Republican Representative Mike Collins in recent polling, and for gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is in a tighter race against Republican Rick Jackson. Democratic campaign efforts are focused on battleground states where the party hopes to capitalize on the polling advantage.
Pardons erase $119 million in victim restitution
A CBS News compilation revealed that Trump's wave of pardons for white-collar criminals and political allies has wiped out more than $119 million in court-ordered restitution owed to crime victims. The total funds denied to victims and the government exceed $1.1 billion over the past two years, not including $661 million owed by a convicted tech CEO or potential restitution from more than 1,500 January 6 defendants who received blanket pardons on Trump's first day in office.
GOP pours $183 million into transgender-focused ads
Republicans have spent approximately $183 million on television advertisements attacking Democrats over transgender issues, producing about 217,000 TV spots nationwide through October 25. The expenditure surpasses GOP spending on similar ads during the 2024 presidential cycle. Overall, Republicans are investing $2.1 billion across all midterm races, outpacing the $1.8 billion spent by Democrats, according to The New York Times.
Campaign trail controversies
Vivek Ramaswamy faced protest from his former teacher, Michael Pogue, who appeared at a Cincinnati rally with a banner reading "Shame on you, Vivek! I taught you better," criticizing an attack ad targeting Democratic rival Amy Acton. In South Carolina, Senator Tim Scott repeated a baseless claim that Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's family "funded Osama bin Laden." Meanwhile, Republican candidates Ken Paxton and Roger Marshall drew attention for mimicking Trump's appearance at campaign events.
