Monday, November 2 | By Steff Danielle Thomas and Elliott Davis
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It’s Monday. A lingering candy hangover from Halloween combined with the anticipation for Election Day tomorrow has made for quite the stew so far today. Shall we?
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- Trump's last midterm sales pitch
- Stevens’s endorsement fallout
- Trump prepares veto pen
- LGBTQ rights, religious freedom collide
Programming note: Hello! We are Steff Danielle Thomas and Elliott Davis filling in for Cate. Please send your tips, comments and story ideas to sthomas@thehill.com or edavis@thehill.com.
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The Associated Press | Charlie Neibergall
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President Trump this afternoon is set to give remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — a final push to sell Americans on his agenda before voters go to the polls Tuesday and determine how much of a counterweight his administration will face in Congress for the remainder of his second term.
Choosing the landmark as the site of his speech is emblematic of the Trump administration’s efforts toward remaking Washington, in Trump’s vision, from the White House’s East Wing to the Kennedy Center. (Two-thirds of respondents to a July Washington Post/Ipsos survey disapproved of Trump’s White House ballroom, reflecting pool Reflecting Pool and triumphal arch projects, specifically.)
The president, nonetheless, is expected to promote the beautification projects on Monday afternoon, and he told reporters on Sunday that making his remarks at the reflecting pool will “show how beautiful it is.”
Need a reminder of what else Trump has sought to give a facelift in Washington? The Hill’s Sarah Davis and Finya Swai recently wrote a rundown.
The speech will also act as Trump’s pre-midterms closing message, focusing on the agenda he and Republican lawmakers have advanced since he returned to the Oval Office last year, a source familiar told The Hill’s broadcast partner NewsNation.
It might be a tough sell: A new poll from NBC News found that 60 percent of those surveyed disapproved of Trump’s job performance, and a majority of Republican respondents were dissatisfied with the state of the economy. The Hill’s election partner Decision Desk HQ estimated Monday that Democrats have an 84 percent chance of winning the House and a 65 percent chance of taking control of the Senate.
💬Follow today’s live blog.
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Stevens’s GOP endorsement fallout: |
Shockwaves are still spreading after Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) endorsed her state’s Republican Senate nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers, instead of fellow Democrat Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday.
The endorsement, which came after El-Sayed disinvited Stevens from what was supposed to be their first joint appearance in a show of Democratic unity before Election Day, prompted a number of resignations from Stevens’s staff and even rare praise of a Democrat from Trump.
Need to get caught up on yesterday’s bombshell? The Hill’s Caroline Vakil and Amie Parnes covered Democrats’ sharp criticism of Stevens’s move. Caroline also wrote about El-Sayed’s response.
But the Democratic Senate nominee might not be sweating too much: El-Sayed’s campaign raised $1.2 million in just four hours after Stevens endorsed Rogers. The number marked El-Sayed’s second-best single-day fundraising total since he won the nomination, The Hill confirmed.
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➤ JUDGE THROWS OUT ALASKA SENATE SUIT:
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There was certainly no shortage of news on Sunday: A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit that seeks to block certification of the Alaska Senate race results if Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) loses his reelection bid.
It marks a loss for the Trump administration ahead of Election Day, when Alaska’s Democratic nominee, former Rep. Mary Peltola, will appear on the Last Frontier’s ballot alongside the GOP incumbent and similarly named Dan Sullivan.
Peltola has denied any knowledge of her campaign’s alleged recruitment of the other Sullivan, which federal officials are investigating.
The accused “ballot stacking” scheme was first reported by The New York Times.
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Trump threatens 'Mr. Veto' era: |
The president is already planning his next act if Democrats take control of Congress next year: Meet "Mr. Veto."
In an interview with the New York Post's Miranda Devine set to air Monday, Trump said he would embrace the nickname if Republicans lost their majorities.
"I'm not going to let them through," he said, adding that repeated vetoes could eventually bring both parties to the negotiating table.
The odds: The comments come as election forecasters increasingly see a path for Democrats to take the lead both chambers of Congress, potentially turning Trump into a lame-duck president for the final two years of his term.
He has been here before: the GOP lost control of the House during his first term, setting up battles over border security and presidential war powers. And if history is any indication, his veto pen could get quite the workout.
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Emails from the Social Security Administration and IRS praising the president are raising legal eyebrows.
Experts say the messages, sent just days before the midterms, could violate the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees.
The emails, according to the Times, touted his leadership and tax cuts, prompting questions about whether government resources were being used for political promotion.
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Join The Hill LIVE on Election Night
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The Hill's Decision Desk '26: Election Night In America will be moderated by Cory Smith and Drew Petrimoulx, joined by Chris Stirewalt and other special guests. The live special features sharp analysis on the most consequential races across the country, the biggest developments in real time, and live race calls powered by election data provider Decision Desk HQ. Watch us on your preferred streaming platform or on TheHill.com.
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LGBTQ rights, religious freedom face Supreme Court test |
The nation’s highest court is gearing up for a major showdown Tuesday over LGBTQ rights and religious freedom, with a Colorado preschool funding dispute taking center stage.
The justices will consider whether the state can require Catholic preschools to enroll children of same-sex couples to participate in its publicly funded early childhood education program.
The case could have broader implications for religious institutions receiving taxpayer funding, potentially testing the limits of religious exemptions to anti-discrimination rules.
Here is what to know about the case from The Hill’s Legal Affairs Editor legal affairs editor Zach Schonfeld.
Also worth watching: State supreme court races are drawing attention of their own ahead of Election Day, with several high-stakes contests on the ballot.
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— 💻 A federal judge dismissed charges Monday against two former FBI officials accused of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop investigation, delivering a setback to the Justice Department. Prosecutors could still seek a grand jury indictment.
— ✈️ Federal investigators are looking into a jet crash that killed all nine people on board not far from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday. The plane, headed to the Bahamas, reportedly plunged 27,000 feet in just one minute before crashing down.
— 🏈 From the playing field to the political arena: A handful of former athletes, coaches and sports personalities are hoping to score big at the ballot box Tuesday. The Hill's Dominick Mastrangelo outlines the top five races to watch for Insiders.
— 🎃 Martha Stewart's Halloween costume was no treat for critics. The lifestyle mogul apologized after dressing as a homeless person, admitting the since-deleted look was insensitive and that she had “really screwed up.”
— 👁️ With control of Congress on the line Tuesday, Republicans are already looking ahead to next week's House leadership elections, which could put House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) future atop the conference in question. More here for Insiders from The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi.
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The New York Times: Identity Politics Have Entered a New Phase
The Wall Street Journal: US Pushes to Restore Russian Gas Sales to Europe Via Ukraine
Politico: What Hakeem Jeffries’ Albany years reveal about how he’d lead the House
Axios: Trump vows to protect Musk, floats pre-emptive staff pardons
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The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT)
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1:05 p.m.: Vice President Vance campaigns in Swanton, Ohio, alongside Sen. Jon Husted (R) and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy. Earlier, he gave remarks at a rally in Rome, N.Y.
2 p.m.: Trump gives closing message at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of Election Day.
LATER: Trump participates in telerallies.
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Who's really winning the midterms?
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Dig into the data yourself with every public poll, early-voting trends and live predictions, all in one place. Get full access to Decision Desk HQ with Insider Premium.
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🥚Celebrate: Today is National Deviled Egg Day! While also celebrating Election Day eve, maybe treat yourself to a deviled egg flight with different toppings. The popular appetizer doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions. Click here for some ideas.
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