In the days leading up to the midterm elections, Donald Trump said that the vote was “the most important” event in Americans’ lives and mobilized his supporters in the campaign, attacking Democratic candidates and presenting the vote as a direct confrontation with the White House agenda.
At the same time, he warned that he would accept the result only if the elections were “fair” and intensified messages about alleged fraud, even promising rewards for information that would lead to convictions. Meanwhile, Trump reiterated that, if he prevailed, he would work with the Democrats, but indicated that he had a “strong” veto power.
The result was expected in the context of discontent also reflected in polls and media analyses: the press and campaign discussions were dominated by economic issues and the war with Iran, while the electoral debate was frequently presented as a test for the Trump administration, not just for the candidates.