Attacks until the very end: “Speaking ill and pointing out weaknesses”

 

Albin Almqvist

Published 19:02

The United States has headed to the polls for the midterm elections.

In the final hours before the polls close, aggressive campaigning could prove decisive.

“There have been many harsh attacks,” says US expert Emma Ricknell.

States have been heading to the polls one by one. While the East Coast is entering the final hours before closing, the West Coast has just opened its polls.

Political scientist and US expert Emma Ricknell will be watching closely as the results for the Senate elections begin to come in.

“There are some indications that there could be a ‘blue tsunami,’ with the Democrats making significant gains. That would be a major development.”

“I’m keeping a particularly close eye on Texas. It’s the kind of state where Democratic challengers usually aren’t even part of the conversation—but now, they are.”

According to Ricknell, those following the Senate races can expect to get an idea of ​​which way things are leaning shortly after midnight, Swedish time.

“But if it’s very close in certain places, we may have to keep waiting.”

The political scientist notes that the election campaign—as is often the case in the US—has been characterized by “negative campaigning” and attacks on opponents. This trend may well persist in the final hours before the outcome is decided.

“It’s a staple of American political campaigns, so we’ll likely continue to see it. Essentially, it involves campaigning by speaking ill of one’s opponent and highlighting their weaknesses,” says Ricknell.

But does it actually work?

– Well, that is the question, isn’t it? But American voters are, at the very least, very accustomed to this.

Could turn Trump into a “lame duck”

If a “blue tsunami” were to materialize and the Democrats gained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it would significantly impact Donald Trump’s power.

– It would mean the Democrats have a very strong opportunity to block Trump’s various policy proposals. He simply wouldn’t be able to push through the agenda he has outlined over the past few years.

Regardless of the outcome, the president will likely have plenty to say about it, the political scientist believes.

– We can probably expect him to take to Truth Social and comment on this quite promptly, says Ricknell, adding:

– He has made statements suggesting he might be willing to accept the election results, provided the election was conducted properly. One has to wonder what he means by that—what it would imply if he decides the election was not conducted properly.