Trump Votes Early in Florida as Republicans Fight to Retain Control of Congress

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump cast their ballots early in Florida on Saturday ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, as Republicans face a battle to retain control of Congress.

The president voted in his home state before travelling to Georgia for a campaign rally. Trump told reporters that he had voted exclusively for Republican candidates.

Asked about corruption, which has emerged as a major concern for voters, Trump accused Democrats of being responsible for the problem.

“You ought to look at the real corruption — it’s Democrat corruption,” he said.

Trump, who has repeatedly refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election and made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, again alleged that the election had been rigged.

“I ran and I won in 2016, and I won in 2020, too, but it didn’t work out that way,” he said at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office in West Palm Beach. “It was a rigged election, but I won by millions of votes.”

With just 10 days remaining before the midterm elections, opinion polls indicated that Republicans faced the prospect of losing control of the House of Representatives and potentially the Senate. Midterm elections have historically posed challenges for the party holding the presidency.

Losing their congressional majorities would make it more difficult for Trump to advance his legislative agenda during the final two years of his term.

A Democratic takeover could also pave the way for a series of congressional investigations into the president’s business dealings and those of his associates, including activities conducted through the Trump family’s holding company since his return to the White House.