Trump says will respect US midterm results 'if they're honest'

Donald Trump says he will respect the results of the US midterm elections "if they're honest," a fresh bid to sow doubt ahead of next week's crucial vote.

The US president has ramped up unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud as polls show Republicans could lose control of Congress in Tuesday's elections.

"I will, if they're honest elections," Trump told reporters on Tuesday ahead of a campaign stop in Texas.

The 80-year-old also gave a guarded pledge to work with rival Democrats if Republicans lose their grip on the House of Representatives and Senate.

"We'll figure a way. Look, I have strong veto. I hope that that won't be the case, but if it is, that's happened before with many presidents," Trump said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington. "You have strong veto, and you end up working on deals."

Republicans fear a Democrat "blue wave" as voters punish them over inflation fuelled by oil prices that have soared since Trump launched his war on Iran.

Trump has held near-daily rallies across the United States over the past month to boost turnout among his MAGA base, saying he is the only one who can stave off defeat.

His third visit to Texas in a month reflects those concerns, with polls showing a close Senate race in a state that has been solidly Republican for more than 30 years.

In recent days, Trump has stepped up voter fraud allegations that have obsessed him since he lost the 2020 presidential election.

After his loss to Joe Biden, Trump riled up protesters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to stop the final election certification.

Some critics fear Trump is paving the way to challenge the midterm results or even invoke emergency powers.

On Monday, Trump offered a US$1-million cash reward for information leading to convictions for voter fraud.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a rare appearance alongside Trump on the campaign trail in Texas on Tuesday.

Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance are widely viewed as top contenders to lead the Republican Party into its post-Trump era in 2028.

Trump remains a dominant figure in the party but has yet to endorse a successor.

Until now, Rubio, the first Hispanic and first fluent Spanish speaker to serve as the top US diplomat, has steered clear of the campaign trail.

Unpopular president

The November 3 vote is shaping up as a verdict on one of the most turbulent presidencies in US history. By several measures, Trump enters it less popular than any predecessor facing midterms in the modern polling era.

US citizens will elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 senators, alongside governors in 36 states. The election will determine control of Congress, which passes laws, sets the budget and oversees the White House.

Control of the House alone would give Democrats powerful committees and subpoena authority.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed to "hold the crooks accountable." He says his party would reverse Trump's tariffs, end US involvement in the Iran war and restore health insurance subsidies if it wins a majority. He has also left the door open to a third Trump impeachment.

A Senate win would allow Democrats to block Trump's judicial and cabinet nominees.

Trump has made the election a referendum on his record – a risky bet given polls putting his approval rating in the mid-to-low 30s, the lowest of his political career, with just 17 percent backing his handling of the cost of living. A Wall Street Journal survey found no president heading into the midterms had polled worse in its surveys dating to 1990.

Yet Republicans' formidable cash advantage means a Democratic sweep is far from certain.

Trump's MAGA Inc super PAC entered September with US$416 million in the bank, while Republican groups are outspending Democrats on the airwaves in several key Senate races.

Redrawn congressional maps designed to protect incumbents have sharply reduced the number of competitive seats, limiting how far a historic wave of discontent can translate into gains.

A gain of around 19 House seats would fall short of the 27-seat average midterm loss for a president's party over the past 90 years. It would be less than half the 40 seats Republicans lost in 2018, during Trump's first term.

Still, the battlefield has widened since the summer. Democrats are now competitive in Senate races in Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska – states Trump won by double digits in 2024.

For Trump, barred from seeking a third term, the midterms come as the fight over his legacy and who inherits his movement in 2028 begins in earnest.

– TIMES/AFP