On the eve of Tuesday's midterm elections, President Trump delivered his closing message beside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, early voting shattered the 2022 record, federal courts reined in the administration's pressure on election officials, Republicans sounded the alarm in Texas, and a business jet crash in South Florida killed nine people.
Trump makes his closing pitch: "We gave this a very strong shot." In his final scheduled in-person remarks of the campaign, delivered at the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, President Trump spent much of his time touting the renovation before turning to the midterms. He acknowledged that a sitting president's party usually loses midterm seats, saying, "we gave this a very strong shot," and urged supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" during a telerally for New York Republicans Mike Lawler and Bruce Blakeman. He was scheduled to appear on Fox News' "Hannity" Monday night. Vice President JD Vance said he felt "good about tomorrow" but that the outcome is "in the hands of voters."
Early voting tops 57 million. More than 57 million Americans had already cast ballots by Monday afternoon, according to the University of Florida Election Lab — nearly 32 million in person and more than 25 million by mail. That easily surpasses the roughly 46 million early votes cast in the 2022 midterms. Polls close Tuesday evening, and officials caution that results in some close races may take days to finalize.
Courts block federal pressure on election officials. U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ordered the Justice and Homeland Security departments to stop demanding that election officials in any state segregate ballots, purge voters or halt ballot processing, and barred threats of criminal prosecution against election workers, finding the actions were likely to disenfranchise lawful voters. Separately, a federal appeals panel refused the administration's request that California set aside about 20,000 mail ballots it claimed were sent to noncitizens, saying any procedural changes should go to Congress, not the courts. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the administration's fraud claims "baseless."
Republicans warn of an upset in Texas. Campaigning in Conroe for GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton, Sen. Ted Cruz told supporters that "if the election were over today, the Democrats could well win every single statewide position in Texas," urging Republicans to turn out. Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in a competitive race, and Democratic strategists are predicting a "Hispanic hurricane" as Latino voters frustrated with the economy and immigration enforcement drift back toward their party. In the border-area 15th District, even Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz has distanced herself from aggressive ICE operations.
Nine killed as business jet plunges into South Florida neighborhood. A Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas nose-dived into a Palm Beach County roadside Sunday afternoon and exploded, killing all nine people aboard, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. Air traffic recordings show the pilots reported icing and turbulence at about 35,000 feet before the plane entered a steep, overspeed dive and the crew declared a mayday. No one on the ground was reported hurt. The NTSB is investigating.
트럼프 대통령, 선거 전 마지막 연설. 트럼프 대통령은 화요일 중간선거를 하루 앞두고 새로 단장한 링컨 기념관 리플렉팅 풀 앞에서 마지막 공식 연설을 했습니다. 그는 집권당이 중간선거에서 대개 의석을 잃는다고 인정하며 "우리는 아주 강력하게 도전했다"고 말했고, 뉴욕 공화당 후보 지원 전화 유세에서는 "내가 투표용지에 있다고 생각하고 투표하라"고 호소했습니다. JD 밴스 부통령은 "내일에 대해 좋은 느낌이지만 결과는 유권자의 손에 달렸다"고 말했습니다.
사전투표 5,700만 명 돌파. 플로리다대 선거연구소에 따르면 월요일 오후까지 5,700만 명 이상이 이미 투표했습니다(현장 약 3,200만, 우편 2,500만 이상). 이는 2022년 중간선거 사전투표 약 4,600만 명을 크게 웃도는 수치입니다.
법원, 선거관리 당국 압박에 제동. 트리나 톰슨 연방판사는 법무부와 국토안보부가 각 주 선거관리 당국에 투표용지 분리 보관, 유권자 명부 삭제, 개표 중단을 요구하거나 형사 기소로 위협하는 것을 금지했습니다. 또 연방 항소법원 재판부는 비시민권자에게 발송됐다는 캘리포니아 우편투표 약 2만 장을 따로 보관하라는 행정부의 요청을 기각했습니다.
텍사스 공화당 위기감. 테드 크루즈 상원의원은 켄 팩스턴 상원 후보 유세에서 "지금 선거가 끝난다면 민주당이 텍사스 주 전체 선거를 모두 이길 수도 있다"며 투표 참여를 촉구했습니다. 팩스턴은 민주당 제임스 탈라리코 후보와 접전 중이며, 민주당은 경제와 이민 단속에 불만을 가진 히스패닉 유권자의 복귀를 기대하고 있습니다.
남플로리다 비즈니스 제트기 추락, 9명 사망. 텍사스 오스틴에서 바하마로 향하던 리어젯 60 기종이 일요일 팜비치 카운티 도로변에 추락해 폭발하면서 탑승자 9명 전원이 숨졌습니다. 조종사는 약 3만 5천 피트 상공에서 착빙과 난기류를 보고한 뒤 급강하하며 조난 신호를 보냈습니다. 지상 피해자는 보고되지 않았으며 NTSB가 조사 중입니다.
Sources: CBS News (2026 election live updates, Nov. 2), NBC News, CNN, Democracy Now! (Nov. 2 headlines), NPR/The Associated Press, University of Florida Election Lab.
