President Donald Trump voted early in Florida on Saturday ahead of the November midterm elections. During his early voting, used a post-voting media interaction to accuse Democrats of corruption, claiming reporters were ignoring the democrats involved in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump cast their ballots at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office in West Palm Beach. The president then departed for a campaign rally in Georgia.
Speaking to reporters after voting, Trump said he had voted a straight Republican ticket.
“Wall Street Journal has lost its way.”
During the exchange, a Wall Street Journal reporter asked Trump about polls suggesting government corruption is among voters’ top concerns ahead of the midterms. Trump asked which news organisation the reporter represented before criticising the newspaper’s coverage.
“You guys are worse than anybody. Wall Street Journal has lost its way,” Trump said.
He then alleged there was significant Democratic corruption that was not receiving enough media attention.
“You ought to look at the real corruption. It’s Democrat corruption, and that includes Jeffrey Epstein. All Democrats involved,” Trump said.
Trump did not elaborate on his reference to Jeffrey Epstein or identify any specific allegations involving Democratic officials during his remarks.
He also referenced Democratic-led areas including Minnesota, Los Angeles and Maine while making the remarks. “There’s MASSIVE corruption YOU don’t cover on the Democrat side. You ought to look at Minnesota, Maine, Los Angeles. WE are straight.”
Trump did not provide evidence to support those allegations.
“I ran and I won in 2016, and I won in 2020, too.”
The exchange came as campaigning entered its final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections. Trump voted with 10 days remaining before Americans head to the polls in elections that will determine control of Congress.
According to AFP, Trump also repeated his longstanding false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election. “I ran and I won in 2016, and I won in 2020, too, but it didn’t work out that way,” Trump said. “It was a rigged election, but I won by millions of votes.”
According to AFP, opinion surveys suggest Republicans face a difficult path to retaining control of the House of Representatives and could also lose their Senate majority.
A Democratic-controlled Congress would significantly limit Trump’s legislative agenda during the remainder of his presidency. Democratic lawmakers have also said they would pursue oversight investigations into the Trump administration and the Trump family’s business dealings if they secure majorities in Congress.