The U.S. midterm election has officially begun, and the Trump administration has suffered an early setback from the Democrats. Ahead of the midterms, the U.S. Supreme Court swiftly rejected on November 2 a request filed by the Department of Justice under the Trump administration, declining to temporarily halt California’s processing of more than 20,000 mail-in ballots.
It was indeed a significant blow. The Justice Department had previously argued that a federal database identified approximately 20,000 individuals on California’s voter rolls who may not be U.S. citizens, urging the state to segregate those ballots and suspend counting pending verification. However, the Supreme Court denied the request with no explanation, dismissing it within hours of filing—skipping even the customary requirement for California to respond.
Relations between the judiciary and the Trump-controlled executive branch have grown increasingly tense in recent days. On October 21, a federal judge restricted the Department of Homeland Security from conducting voter eligibility door-to-door investigations in nine states, including California. On October 26 and October 30, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected twice the Justice Department’s attempts to isolate ballots in California. On November 1, a federal judge in Alaska dismissed a lawsuit by the Justice Department seeking to block certification of the state’s Senate election results. On November 2, another federal judge ruled that threatening criminal prosecution against California election officials violated the Constitution and issued a preliminary injunction.
The underlying issue is the Trump administration’s effort to deploy executive power directly into elections, traditionally managed by individual states. Yet the judicial system—including judges appointed by Trump himself—has collectively intervened to check this expansion of authority. Even as courts have blocked this particular move, the Trump campaign has already laid groundwork for potential post-election disputes. The persistent narrative of widespread election fraud, regardless of evidence, serves a strategic purpose: to erode public confidence in electoral outcomes. A loss can be attributed to “rigged” results; a victory becomes a “justified triumph.”
Today, November 3, marks the official start of voting in the U.S. midterm elections, whose outcome will shape the scope of policy action available to Trump during the remainder of his term. Current polling indicates broad dissatisfaction with Trump’s leadership, raising the likelihood that Republicans could lose control of one or both chambers of Congress.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880797517141004/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.