Sunday, 1 November 2026
Key Events (10)
A federal judge dismissed Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a July 2025 story reporting on a purported birthday letter Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein, ruling the lawsuit was without merit.
A federal judge in Alaska dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, ruling the administration lacked authority to bring such a challenge.
Democrat Haley Stevens unexpectedly endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's closely watched Senate race just two days before the midterm election, following a bitter dispute with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump said the U.S. is 'in no hurry' with Iran regarding military strikes, while mediators continue indirect negotiations through Qatar over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and releasing $6 billion in Iranian assets frozen by U.S. sanctions.
Democrats hold a sizable lead in the national generic ballot and polling advantage days before the midterm elections, with voters expressing all-time high disapproval of Trump and demanding change and a check on his administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump can allow defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro to stay in the U.S. 'as long as he wants,' despite Bolsonaro facing investigation in Brazil. Rubio denied the administration helped Bolsonaro flee.
Trump publicly criticized his former lawyer Alina Habba Mildon for signing a $50 million contract with the family of a banker while working at the Justice Department before Trump pardoned that individual, calling the deal 'obnoxious and outrageous.'
A high-ranking Democratic senator, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Murphy was reported to be alert and is a vocal Trump critic.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced progress in trade negotiations with the Trump administration days before the U.S. midterm elections, signaling movement toward a potential Canada-U.S. trade deal.
Federal law enforcement conducted a politically charged operation during the 2026 midterm elections, with 1,000 DOJ monitors deployed to polling locations. Election officials expressed concerns about compliance with past norms, raising worries about potential election interference.