Steph Deschamps / November 5, 2022
With four days to go before the midterm elections, Joe Biden assured that the Democrats will beat the polls, which promise them a rout, and warned of the possibility of having "two horrible years" if they lose their majority in Congress and the Senate.
Visiting Chicago, the president hammered home an optimistic message. "I absolutely do not believe we are in trouble," he said. "I think we're going to win. Really."
He painted a bleak picture, however, in the event of Republican victories. "If we lose Congress and the Senate, it's going to be a horrible two years," he warned.
"The good news is that I will have the veto power," which allows the president to block future Republican legislation, he added. "Democracy is really at stake."
Earlier in the day, he had boasted from California about the massive investments made over the past two years, particularly in semiconductors and the climate. He also promised to tackle inflation, which is at its highest level in 40 years and which is causing discontent among many voters.
America still has "strengths", he insisted. The labor market remains strong, with an unemployment rate of 3.7% and 261,000 jobs created in October.
As president, I will not accept the argument that the problem is that too many Americans are getting good jobs," he said.
Democrats are on the defensive ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Polls predict a large conservative victory in the House of Representatives, which is up for re-election, and have recently been leaning toward a narrow Republican majority in the Senate, where a third of the seats are up for grabs.
With this scenario in mind, Donald Trump is increasingly signaling his intention to win back the White House.
"I will very very very likely run again. Be ready," the former Republican president said Thursday night at a rally in Iowa. "We're going to take back Congress, we're going to take back the Senate," he added. "And in 2024, we're going to take back our beautiful White House. »
The billionaire, who has never acknowledged his defeat in 2020 and has been flirting for months with the idea of running for another term, continues to exert his grip on the Republican Party.
He has endorsed a large number of his candidates for these "midterms", is multiplying his rallies to support them and will probably take credit for their success if they deprive Joe Biden of his Democratic majority in Congress.
A conservative win on Tuesday would allow him to announce a presidential bid, cutting off potential rivals like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
"We can count on a quick announcement," Kellyanne Conway, his former White House adviser and close ally, acknowledged Thursday.
Citing anonymous sources, the news site Axios was betting Friday on the date of November 14for such an announcement, which could also weigh on the various legal cases involving Donald Trump.
The real estate tycoon is under investigation for his role in the assault on the Capitol, the management of White House records and is being prosecuted by the justice of the State of New York for his financial affairs.
In this state, which has been in Democratic hands for more than 20 years, the tide could turn on November 8.
To help Governor Kathy Hochul, who is in trouble, the party has sent former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris to her side.
Other Democratic strongholds, such as Oregon and Colorado, also appear to be weakened by discontent over soaring inflation, which Republicans blame on Joe Biden.
To counter that message, the president is emphasizing his efforts to protect working people and jobs.
Democrats are also campaigning on abortion rights and safeguarding democracy, which they say is threatened by the Trumpist wing of the Republican Party, which they accuse of fostering a climate of political violence.
A discourse amplified in recent days by the violent attack suffered in San Francisco by the husband of Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats in Congress. A week after the attack, Mrs. Pelosi announced on Friday that her husband, who underwent surgery for a fractured skull, was released from the hospital.
The investigation revealed that she was the real target of the attacker, David DePape, a man who appears to have been drinking conspiracy theories propagated online by the far right. Before pleading not guilty, he told police that he wanted to "break her kneecaps" if she did not confess to the "lies" of the Democratic camp.
As American election workers are regularly targeted by threats, "the message is clear, there is reason to be concerned. But we can't be afraid," said a tearful Ms. Pelosi.
The Democrats have a lot at stake in this election: if they lose control of Congress, the end of Joe Biden's presidency will be paralyzed. In the event of a heavy defeat, Mr. Biden, who is approaching 80 years of age, will find it difficult to run again.