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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 7 noveMber 2022
GOP predicts midterm wins; Biden warns of democracy threats

By WILL WEISSERT urban New York on Sunday Democrats, it’s indepen-
Associated Press evening, a day after former dents and fair-minded Re-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- Presidents Barack Obama publicans,” Maloney told
publicans are eyeing major and Bill Clinton made clos- NBC’s “Meet the Press,”
gains in Tuesday’s elections ing cases to voters. referring to Trump’s “Make
and appealing to support- Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, America Great Again” slo-
ers over the final weekend head of the Democrats’ gan. Florida Sen. Rick Scott,
of the 2022 campaign to House campaign arm, is who heads the Republi-
punish Democrats for high in a tough contest for his cans’ Senate campaign
inflation and crime rates seat north of New York arm, countered: “We have
that have risen in parts of City. But he insisted Sunday great candidates. People
the country. Top Demo- that Democrats are “going are showing up to vote.”
crats, including President to do better than people “There’s no energy on the
Joe Biden and his party’s think on Tuesday,” adding Democrat side,” he said on
two most recent White that his party is “not per- NBC. “This election is about
House predecessors, said fect” but “we are respon- the Biden agenda.” President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama shake
the prospect of GOP vic- sible adults who believe in Former President Donald hands at a campaign rally for Pennsylvania's Democratic
tories could undermine the this democracy.” Trump, who planned a gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Democratic Senate
very future of American de- “I think this race is razor- Miami rally later Sunday, candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in
mocracy. close and I think every- hopes a strong GOP show- Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
More than 39 million peo- body who cares about the ing on Election Day will
ple have already voted in extremism in this ‘MAGA’ generate momentum for rally. Not invited, though, is and cited DeSantis and
an election that will decide movement — the racism, the 2024 run that he is ex- Florida’s Republican gov- others, Trump slammed
control of Congress and the anti-Semitism, the vio- pected to launch in the ernor, Ron DeSantis, who O’Dea on social media:
key governorships. Biden lence — needs to get out days or weeks after polls is running for reelection “MAGA doesn’t Vote for
was campaigning in sub- and vote and that’s not just close. Scott will be at that against Democrat Charlie stupid people with big
Crist and is widely consid- mouths,” Trump said.
ered Trump’s most formi- Days later, DeSantis en-
dable challenger if he also dorsed O’Dea, who had
were to get into the White twice voted for Trump.
House race. For national Democrats,
In Pennsylvania on Satur- the focus is on the fate of
day night, Trump said he their narrow control of the
hoped the GOP would House and Senate.
have “an historic victory” in Voters may rebuke the
the midterms. But DeSantis party controlling the White
also was on his mind — he House and Congress amid
referred to the governor as surging inflation, concerns
“Ron DeSanctimonious.” about crime and pessi-
It’s a rivalry that’s been mism about the direction
simmering for more than a of the country. History sug-
year as DeSantis has taken gests the party in power
increasingly bold steps to will suffer significant losses
boost his national profile in the midterms. First lady
and build a deep fundrais- Jill Biden attended church
ing network. services while campaign-
DeSantis, who became ing for Democrats in Hous-
a popular national figure ton. Vice President Kamala
among conservatives dur- Harris, campaigning in Chi-
ing the pandemic as he cago, said, “These attacks
pushed back on COVID-19 on our democracy will not
restrictions, shares Trump’s only directly impact the
pugilistic instincts. By most people around our country,
measures, Trump remains but arguably around the
easily the most popular fig- world.” She said America’s
ure in the Republican Party. democracy ”will only be as
But many Trump supporters strong as our willingness to
are eager for the prospect fight for it and that’s’ why
that DeSantis might run, we’re all here today,” add-
seeing him as a natural ing, “because we are pre-
successor to Trump, without pared to fight for it.”
Trump’s considerable po- Trump has long falsely
litical negatives. Trump has claimed he lost the 2020
privately groused about election only because
DeSantis for failing to say Democrats cheated and
definitively that he will sit has even begun raising
out the race. the possibility of election
When Joe O’Dea, the GOP fraud this year. Federal in-
candidate for Senate in telligence agencies are
Colorado, said he would warning of the possibility of
prefer someone other than political violence from far-
Trump as the 2024 nominee right extremists.q