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The week in U.S. Politics
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The administration tied federal enforcement to election administration through a fraud reward, conditional acceptance of results, polling-place monitoring, subpoenas, and efforts to stop California ballot counting. Fabricated polls and disputes over prediction markets added new ways to distort perceptions of electoral strength.
The dispute over an alleged same-name spoiler candidate grew from a lawsuit into a federal effort to block or isolate Alaska ballots and bar Mary Peltola from the race. A judge rejected an effort to halt certification, but the Justice Department continued to appeal and investigate.
Polling, prediction markets, and a forecast model consistently favored Democratic gains, including a possible Senate takeover. Early voting was heavy, but turnout patterns, late-deciding voters, and state-level races kept the outcome uncertain.
Gas prices, war costs, and broader household expenses became recurring liabilities for Trump as voters judged his economic record. The administration promoted longer-term energy savings while offering no clear near-term relief from prices above $4 a gallon.
Record midterm spending increasingly came from a small group of wealthy donors and late-forming super PACs. Musk, other megadonors, and the cryptocurrency industry directed hundreds of millions of dollars toward shaping campaign infrastructure and congressional policy.
News organizations expanded their lawsuit over White House exclusions as the administration continued restricting access despite court orders. The case shifted toward whether judicial limits on presidential control of press access could become permanent.
The administration brought a third prosecution against James Comey while courts ruled that Maurene Comey's firing was unlawful and ordered her reinstated. A grand jury's refusal to indict Cassidy Hutchinson added another setback to politically sensitive criminal cases.
Disputes over Israel and Gaza widened Democratic divisions, while anti-Muslim attacks made religion central to a Senate race. A prominent Democratic defection to a Republican candidate and Trump's closing rhetoric sharpened the party and coalition tensions.
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