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US ambassador suggests Trump could blame Canada if midterms don’t go his way

Pete Hoekstra, controversial US ambassador to Canada, has also accused Canadian officials of interfering in US elections

The US ambassador has suggested Canada could be blamed if Republicans perform poorly in next week’s midterm elections, the latest intervention from a controversial figure who has been accused of inflaming a bitter dispute that has angered and baffled residents of both countries.

On Wednesday, CTV news reported that Pete Hoekstra told business leaders at a closed door meeting that if a number of swing races – including Maine and Michigan – go to the Democrats, it could make things harder for Canada because Donald Trump might try to blame the loss on it.

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© Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock

Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign reportedly recruited second Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race

28 October 2026 at 19:48

Republicans have condemned the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot, calling it a ploy to split votes

Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign was behind an effort to recruit a challenger with almost the same name as the Republican US senator Dan Sullivan, both of whom will appear on the ballot in next week’s midterm elections, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Republicans have condemned the presence in the race of two candidates named Dan Sullivan – one the two-term US senator, the second a retiree living in south-eastern Alaska with scant political experience – calling the newcomer a ploy by Democrats to cost the incumbent re-election by splitting his supporters.

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© Composite: AP, Bloomberg, Abaca, Getty Images

© Composite: AP, Bloomberg, Abaca, Getty Images

© Composite: AP, Bloomberg, Abaca, Getty Images

‘A revolution in slow motion’: is Arizona’s wealthiest district finally done with Trump?

Circumstances are ripe for change in this onetime Republican stronghold given the current dissatisfaction with Trump agenda, experts say

Donald Trump has repeatedly asked voters to pretend that he is on the ballot in November’s crucial midterm elections. And in the comfortable confines of Arizona’s most affluent and fiercely contested congressional district, Trump is definitely on voters’ minds.

But whether that helps or hurts the warring congressional candidates in this sun-drenched swath of suburbia, where Teslas and walled-in luxury homes dominate, depends on who you ask.

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© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Thune calls Moreno ‘eye candy’

28 October 2026 at 14:42
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) referred to his fellow Republican senator, Sen. Bernie Moreno (Ohio), as “eye candy,” comments that come after President Trump complimented the physique of the other Ohio senator, Sen. Jon Husted (R). “I know that Husted gets a ton of attention, but I think Bernie’s kind of eye candy too.…

Thune calls Moreno ‘eye candy’

28 October 2026 at 14:42
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) referred to his fellow Republican senator, Sen. Bernie Moreno (Ohio), as “eye candy,” comments that come after President Trump complimented the physique of the other Ohio senator, Sen. Jon Husted (R). “I know that Husted gets a ton of attention, but I think Bernie’s kind of eye candy too.…

RFK Jr assailed over ‘wildly racist tirade’ about Arabs at Michigan campaign stop

28 October 2026 at 13:17

US health secretary falsely claims at Mike Rogers rally that Arabs have never won major prizes in science or literature

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, faced backlash on Wednesday for a “wildly racist tirade” during a campaign stop in Michigan in which he falsely asserted that Arabs never won major awards in science or literature.

Kennedy was speaking at the Monday night event in Grand Rapids in support of Mike Rogers, the Republican US Senate candidate who is trailing his Democratic midterms opponent Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim, in polling.

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© Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

© Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

© Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Johnson says there will be ‘peaceful transfer of power’ on Jan 3

28 October 2026 at 01:03
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday that there will be a “peaceful transfer of power” when new House members are set to join the lower chamber next year. “Of course, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power, but it will not be transferring because we are going to keep the majority, and I’m going…

Johnson says there will be ‘peaceful transfer of power’ on Jan 3

28 October 2026 at 01:03
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday that there will be a “peaceful transfer of power” when new House members are set to join the lower chamber next year. “Of course, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power, but it will not be transferring because we are going to keep the majority, and I’m going…

Trump shows off tanker with ‘1m barrels of oil’ and floats Venezuela as 51st state

27 October 2026 at 23:07

President at Texas campaign rally hails deal struck with post-Maduro government as ‘greatest oil victory in history’

Donald Trump suggested Venezuela would become the 51st state of the United States on Tuesday as the president showed off a tanker he claimed had “one million barrels of oil on it” from the country, nine months after deposing its president.

At a campaign rally in Corpus Christ, Texas, Trump touted a US oil deal with Venezuela, which the US attacked in January, capturing its long-serving leader Nicolás Maduro.

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© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Democrats put economy and affordability at center of final campaign push

With one week until Election Day, the final push is on. President Trump is making a swing through Texas, a state Republicans have long counted on, but where Democrats see an opportunity to make gains. With voters pointing to the cost of everyday necessities, the economy is looming large in the final week of the campaign. Lisa Desjardins reports.

Why Trump's coalition of evangelical voters could be fraying

White evangelical Christians have been among President Trump's most loyal supporters for more than a decade, and our new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows that most still approve of him. But signs of slippage are emerging ahead of the midterms. Stephanie Sy reports on the overlap of politics and faith.

Libertarians could siphon Republican support in the fight for control of the U.S. Senate

Third-party Libertarian candidates threaten to siphon votes from Republicans in competitive states and could imperil the party's chances of holding its narrow majority over Democrats.

Democrats hold 8-point advantage 1 week before midterms: Survey

27 October 2026 at 13:37
Democrats have an 8-point lead over Republicans in the final week before the midterm elections, according to a new survey released Tuesday. The Marist Poll, conducted alongside NPR and PBS News, found voters favor Democrats over Republicans by 52-44 precent. Independents also prefer Democrats over the GOP, with 52 percent saying so. Another 39 percent…

House GOP to hold leadership elections a week after Election Day

26 October 2026 at 23:48
House Republicans are slated to hold their leadership elections on Nov. 10, according to two GOP staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.  Politico, which first reported the news, noted that Republicans will hold a two-hour candidate forum that morning before voting on the leader, whip, conference chair and other positions.  Members also have…

Thune campaigns for Republicans in marquee Senate races in scramble to save majority

Republican candidates in marquee Senate races have welcomed Thune's help as he's traveled around the country in the weeks before the midterm elections, scrambling to save his majority.

California has become unaffordable — but Congress can do something about it

California Reps. Vince Fong and James Gallagher introduced two joint resolutions to overturn the California Air Resources Board's Vessels At-Berth and Commercial Harbor Craft regulations, which they argue act as hidden climate taxes increasing costs for consumers.

Trump predicts Canada trade dispute will be resolved ‘soon’

26 October 2026 at 14:30
President Trump said Sunday his trade war with Canada will be over “soon,” as the dispute poses ongoing political problems for Republicans in the midterms.  During a rally in Port Huron, Mich., Trump reiterated his view that Canada “has been ripping off” the U.S. “for years.” The president used that justification in imposing 50 percent…

Why a blue wave might miss Minnesota’s Senate race 

24 October 2026 at 11:00
Political headwinds are blowing in Democrats’ favor nationally, with high gas prices and President Trump’s record-low approval rating creating a difficult midterm environment for Republicans.  But in Minnesota’s open Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D), Democrats are facing an unexpectedly competitive race.  Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) holds a slim lead over…

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