[Anchor]
Looking at the current race, the Democratic Party is widely expected to retake the House of Representatives. Analysis suggests that even the Senate is no longer a safe zone for the ruling Republican Party. Let us connect to Washington to examine the mid-term election landscape and remaining variables in detail.
Correspondent Lee Hanseok, what do recent poll results show?
[Reporter]
Yes. Compiling recent analyses from U.S. election forecasting institutions, the Democratic Party is favored to recapture the House majority by securing up to 240 seats.
What stands out is that even the Senate, which has served as a bulwark for the Republicans, is in jeopardy.
The current balance stands at 53 seats for the Republicans and 47 for the Democrats.
With Democrats mounting a fierce chase across seven key battleground states including Texas, Michigan, and Alaska, they need to pick up just four more seats on top of their existing tally to flip the Senate.
Given that President Trump's approval rating has plunged to the 30% range, the lowest of his second term, the possibility of a simultaneous rout for the Republicans in both the House and the Senate cannot be ruled out.
[Anchor]
President Trump held his final public campaign event in Washington yesterday (Nov. 2), correct?
[Reporter]
Yes. Gripped by a sense of crisis, President Trump branded the Democratic Party as the "house of Satan," clinging to efforts to rally his core conservative base.
[Donald Trump / U.S. President: Remember when you vote. We cannot let a party that hates America govern the people who built our country.]
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice is also waging legal battles, having filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court for an injunction to separately store and withhold ballots, claiming that some 20,000 mail-in ballots in California may include non-citizens.
This is interpreted as a preemptive move to highlight procedural flaws to galvanize supporters and lay the groundwork for potential non-acceptance of results or recounts down the road.
[Anchor]
However, the U.S. military struck Iran on the eve of the election. Some concerns are being raised that President Trump might take unexpected actions if the election results turn out unfavorably.
[Reporter]
Observations are emerging that if the ruling party suffers a crushing defeat and faces an early lame-duck period, President Trump could push foreign and security issues even more aggressively to reverse his defensive posture.
This is because even if legislation and budgets are deadlocked, the powers of the commander-in-chief remain intact.
In addition, reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing the threat of losing power, has persistently pressed Trump to resume attacks on Iran, raising concerns that the situation in the Middle East could deteriorate further.
(Live reporting: Park Eunha, Video editing: So Jihye)
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