8 days until midterms, Trump intensifies attacks on El-Sayed as election disputes mount
President Donald Trump escalated attacks against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as Republicans seek to hold the Senate, while legal fights over disputed ballots in California and Alaska raise fresh questions about election administration.
More than 27 million early votes cast so far in the 2026 midterms
More than 27.4 million Americans had already voted early as of 6:00 a.m. Monday morning, with only eight days left until Election Day next week on Tuesday Nov. 3.
More than 4.35 million of those votes were cast in Texas, where there's a nationally-watched U.S. Senate contest between state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
Over 986,000 early votes were cast in Michigan, where former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican, is locked in a heated U.S. Senate race against Democratic rival Abdul El-Sayed.
Vivek Ramaswamy labels Dem opponent as 'crazy, unstable and dishonest'
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during a Monday morning appearance on "FOX & Friends" slammed Democratic rival Amy Acton as "crazy, unstable and dishonest."
Ramaswamy asserted that he is "running against somebody who is crazy, unstable and dishonest," adding, "And even more importantly, they represent crazy and unstable and dishonest ideas."
While President Donald Trump is backing Ramaswamy in the Buckeye State's governor race, former President Barack Obama is supporting Acton.
Trump says 'Obama opposed me twice and so far he's batting zero'
Pointing to the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections which he won, President Donald Trump told WJBK during an interview in Michigan on Sunday that former President Barack Obama "opposed me twice and so far he's batting zero."
Referring to the 2016 and 2024 elections, Trump said that Obama "opposed me with Hillary. How did that work out? He opposed me with Kamala. And how did that work out?"
Trump did not mention the fact that Obama also backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential contest, which Biden won.
GOP rep's son says he won't vote for Sen Darline Graham, is 'leaning' toward Dem opponent
Warren Norman, son of Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., asserted that he will not vote for Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's U.S. Senate race, and noted that he is "leaning" towards casting his ballot for Democratic candidate Annie Andrews.
"I am a conservative. I have voted Republican my entire life, and I still believe in what the Republican platform stands for: limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual freedom and personal responsibility. This November, I’ll proudly vote for Alan Wilson for governor and for Republicans up and down the ballot. But I will not be voting for Darline Graham for the United States Senate," Warren Norman wrote in a piece published Friday by FITSNews.
Warren Norman's father lost the South Carolina GOP U.S. Senate primary runoff contest to Graham earlier this year.
"I have sat down with Annie Andrews. We disagree on a lot. We also agree on some important things, including fighting corruption and reforming insurance. She struck me as genuine, and she has said publicly that she’ll stand up to her own party. That is the standard I’m asking of every candidate, and I intend to hold her to it. As of today, I’m leaning her way. It will be the first time in my life I’ve voted for a Democrat in a partisan election," Warren Norman wrote.
"If Senator Graham wins, the establishment that backed her will protect her in every primary to come. This seat could be hers for 24 years or more. If Annie Andrews wins and doesn’t stand up to her party the way she has promised, South Carolina voters can hold her accountable and replace her with a strong conservative in six. Six years we can hold accountable, or 24 years we can’t. To me, that isn’t a hard call," he explained.
The Graham campaign responded to Fox News Digital's comment request on Monday by pointing to a post on X by Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C.
"It is unconscionable for any true conservative to vote for Annie Andrews' agenda of high taxes, defunding the police, open borders, trans therapies for children, and gun confiscation. A true conservative would never want liberal Chuck Schumer to take charge of the U.S. Senate and empower the Democrat Socialists to run wild in Congress," Timmons wrote in the Friday post on X.
President Trump to rally in Mississippi on Monday
President Donald Trump is slated to rally in ruby-red Mississippi on Monday.
The rally, which will be in Corinth, Mississippi, is part of Trump's midterms campaign blitz as he tries to boost Republican candidates around the nation.
House Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries says 'MAGA extremism' is 'wrecking' the nation
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed in a post on X that America is being ruined by "MAGA extremism."
"Enough with the MAGA extremism wrecking our country. House Democrats will deliver dramatic change," Jeffries asserted in the Sunday post.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Monday, Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre said, "Hakeem Jeffries is finally saying the quiet part out loud. By abolishing prisons, defunding the police, and inserting government control into everything, Democrats' far-left agenda will fundamentally change every aspect of our lives - and not for the better."
While the House and Senate majorities are currently held by the GOP, Democrats are aiming to flip the balance of power during the midterms.
MAPPED: The states Trump and top Democrats are targeting before Election Day
With just eight days until Election Day, both parties are making a final push to shape the fight for control of Congress.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are rallying Republicans across the country, while former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning for Democrats.
The map traces their campaign stops so far this month, with states visited by both sides shaded gray.
Trump has been on the campaign trail nearly every day this month, with stops from Texas and Oklahoma to Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Michigan. He said in early October he planned to hold five to seven rallies a week, and this past weekend he campaigned in Florida on Friday, Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday.
His schedule continues this week, with rallies planned in Mississippi and Texas.
Obama endorses Florida Dem gubernatorial candidate: 'I'm supporting David Jolly for governor'
Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.
"Florida holds a special place in my heart. We won twice because you believed in a better future. Now, I'm supporting David Jolly for governor because he believes in it too," Obama said in part of a video that Jolly posted to X. "Vote for the change you deserve. Vote David Jolly for governor."
Jolly, a former congressman who served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican, is facing President Donald Trump-backed Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds in the Sunshine State's 2026 gubernatorial contest.
Steve Hilton hits Dem governor's 2028 pitch by calling out Newsom's rail record
Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton challenged Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's argument that a Democratic governor should lead the party's 2028 presidential ticket Friday on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," pointing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom's unfinished high-speed rail project as Beshear touted Democratic governors' accomplishments.
Beshear, discussing potential Democratic presidential contenders, argued that governors could point to tangible accomplishments that would distinguish them from President Donald Trump.
"What Democratic governors have are receipts," he said. "You can look at, have you built the housing?"
"Have you built the high-speed rail?" Hilton asked.
The exchange came after Maher raised Newsom as a potential 2028 contender, although the California governor has not formally announced a presidential campaign.
Bruce Blakeman calls Kathy Hochul Zohran Mamdani's 'puppet' during New York campaign rally
Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a "puppet" of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a campaign rally Sunday.
Speaking at the event in Yorktown Heights, New York, Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, accused his opponent of embracing the democratic socialist mayor's agenda while failing to crack down on illegal immigration and crime.
"Kathy Hochul, she was out campaigning with Mamdani this week," Blakeman said, according to the New York Post. "And I say that’s great."
"Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy, because I want to remind people that this un-American, antisemite, anti-Christian mayor is running the Democratic Party and Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet," he continued.
Hochul has been campaigning alongside Mamdani, including at a recent rally in Brooklyn.
Rogers calls out Welker over El-Sayed's Muslim Brotherhood controversy: 'You are giving him a pass'
Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers fired back at NBC's "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday over his allegations about Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood, accusing Welker of defending his rival during a heated exchange about the Islamist organization.
Rogers challenged Welker after she said that El-Sayed had already disavowed any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and defended her previous interview with El-Sayed in which he denied any ties to the group.
"No, he has not, he dismissed the question ... I don't know why you give this guy a pass," Rogers said, as the two interrupted each other. "You are giving him a pass on something he should be accountable for."
Nicki Minaj pledges to support Donald Trump again during Michigan Republican campaign rally
Rapper Nicki Minaj doubled down on her support for President Donald Trump during a Republican campaign rally in Michigan on Sunday, telling the president she would back him again if he ever sought another term.
Minaj was invited onstage at the Port Huron rally by Trump, who was campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James.
"President Trump, it is an honor to stand with you every single time," Minaj said. "And I will continue to support you forever and ever. If you run again, I will support you again."
Trump, who is serving his second term, is barred by the 22nd Amendment from being elected president to a third term.
DOJ defends Alaska lawsuit as Senate race enters final stretch
Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola.
The administration says the lawsuit is intended to address possible voter confusion involving another candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ranked-choice ballot. Peltola called the case “flagrant corruption,” while Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski has also criticized the lawsuit.
The closely watched race could help determine control of the Senate, with Alaska Native voters representing a crucial constituency.
California ballot case puts election administration in focus
A federal appeals court is considering the Trump administration’s request to require California officials to set aside as many as 20,000 mail ballots associated with voters the Justice Department suspects may be noncitizens.
Two of the three judges appeared skeptical during Sunday’s arguments, questioning the timing of the lawsuit, the court’s jurisdiction and whether the federal government is improperly directing state election officials.
California officials say the administration’s list is unreliable and that withholding the ballots could disenfranchise eligible voters. The panel said it would seek to issue a ruling quickly.
Trump escalates attacks on El-Sayed as Michigan Senate race tightens
President Donald Trump intensified his attacks against Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed during Sunday’s rally in Port Huron, questioning El-Sayed’s loyalty and portraying him as a national security threat.
El-Sayed, who could become the nation’s first Muslim senator, has denied any ties to extremist groups. The rhetoric drew a sharp rebuke from Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, who called Trump’s comments “racist.”
The race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is among the contests that could determine control of the Senate.
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