Midterm Elections The US Election Campaign

Under pressure, Trump hopes to sow distrust regarding the election

Donald Trump appears to have entered a new phase in the election campaign, with only a couple of days left before the polls open, reports The Washington Post.

The newspaper writes that the President and the Department of Justice have ramped up the number of complaints and investigations—a move that creates opportunities to call the election results into question.

Recently, the Department of Justice has, among other things, attempted to have the state of California set aside approximately 20,000 ballots that the administration claims were cast by non-US citizens.

Furthermore, the Department wants Alaska to delay certifying its results should the Democratic candidate win. In Washington, a legal effort is underway to invalidate votes cast by hundreds of voters.

"Much of what we are seeing is really just an outburst of anger," says Sam Oliker-Friedland, who previously worked on voting rights issues at the Department.

Fellow party member on the dispute: What the hell is Stevens doing?

The feud between top Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens in Michigan continues to make headlines in the American media.

Stevens has repeatedly criticized statements made by El-Sayed—who defeated her in the Democratic primary for the Senate—regarding Israel. Matters have escalated to the point where, according to consistent reports, El-Sayed's campaign has barred Stevens from attending a campaign event on Sunday.

"I don't know what the hell Haley Stevens is doing," says Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator, speaking to CNN. Haley Stevens is considered one of Israel's staunchest defenders within the Democratic Party. According to The New York Times, her fiancé has publicly endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent in Tuesday's Senate election.

Expert: Dual challenges for the seasoned Collins

Republican Susan Collins, who is running in the Senate election in Maine, is described as unique; she is one of the very few in her party who has managed to stand up to Donald Trump while retaining her power. *SvD* reports that she has, among other things, criticized the President's "diesel deal" with Russia and voted against her own party on several occasions.

Professor Mark Brewer tells the newspaper that Collins faces a tough challenge in the election. She must succeed in attracting votes both from Republicans who feel she is "not MAGA enough" and from Democrats who do not wish to vote for Trump's party.

He believes that if Collins loses, her brand of old-school Republicanism will likely vanish from the party entirely.

"It sends a signal to other Republican politicians—those who might actually prefer to be like her."