The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has traveled this Saturday to Palm Beach County, in the state of Florida, to cast his early vote ahead of the midterm elections on November 3. He has done so accompanied by the First Lady, Melania Trump, in what has been his first day of early voting in this electoral cycle.
After leaving the polling center, and before boarding the plane to Georgia to support the campaigns of Republicans Mike Collins and Rick Jackson, Trump briefly addressed the media. The president has made use of early voting, despite having publicly questioned this system in recent weeks. In his remarks, he lashed out at the "corruption" of the Democratic Party and outlined some of his intentions regarding the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
Trump maintains pressure on Iran and leaves the door open to a deal
When asked by reporters about the possibility of ordering a new attack against Tehran, the occupant of the Oval Office responded sarcastically, addressing one of them directly: "Do you really think I would tell you?".
Although he has not confirmed any imminent movement, he has also not closed the door to that military option, just as he has not ruled out a negotiated exit. "They want to reach an agreement, but the problem is, will they keep it?", he pointed out, making clear his distrust towards the Iranian authorities.
Melania gains prominence for her role in Ukraine
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the U.S. president has highlighted the role of his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, whom he has credited with a successful mediation to achieve a ceasefire in the Ukrainian region of Oleshki, with the aim of facilitating an evacuation.
"I think she is doing better than the professionals right now," he stated, emphasizing her personal involvement in this diplomatic front.
In this vein, Trump has reiterated his desire to achieve a lasting ceasefire between Kiev and Moscow as soon as possible, with an eye on normalizing economic relations once the conflict ends. He has insisted on his aspiration to be able to "do business (with both nations) when the war is over".
"We would like to return to a life in which Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement, and then we could do business with both... We will do business with Ukraine and with Russia after this war is over, I suppose," he specified.
The Democratic Party, at the center of corruption accusations
In the final stretch of his statements, Trump has once again directed his attacks at the Democratic Party, which he has placed at the center of his criticisms in the final stretch towards the elections on November 3, for which polls anticipate a wide victory for the progressives.
"The Democrats are very corrupt. For me, corruption is one of the biggest things. If you look at Minnesota, if you look at Los Angeles, if you look at New York, corruption is out of control - and for me, corruption is a very big factor," he denounced. In contrast, when referring to the Republican Party, he recalled that when he started his political career he perceived it as "very weak" and has defended that, thanks to his leadership, now the party "wins."
This Saturday marked the official start of the early voting period in Florida, which will last from October 24 until Halloween day. Despite this, Mr. Trump's specific plans for election day remain a mystery, as the president avoided answering this week when journalists asked him what he plans to do on that date.