Trump talks midterm issues, praises first lady on securing ceasefire after casting early vote in Florida

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke with reporters at his Florida polling place Saturday after casting early ballots in the midterm election.

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The Trumps arrived at their West Palm Beach polling location at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office. 

Reporters asked the president if he voted in the party line. 

"Very much so," Trump answered. 

Trump spoke on a variety of topics during an impromptu exchange at the polling place.

What they're saying:

He defended a campaign ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The ad features the estranged mother of his opponent, Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, who calls Acton a liar. Both Democrats and Republicans blasted the ad. 

Trump responded, saying that Democrats had said "very bad things" against Ramaswamy, but that the press didn’t complain. 

"The mother said that Amy Acton is a liar and she’s no good. And you know what? I don’t think you could get a better reference than that," Trump said. 

Vice President JD Vance, speaking at an Ohio rally on Wednesday, pushed back against fellow Republicans who complained about the ad. 

"I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America," Vance said. 

Trump calls Alaska election ‘pure corruption’

Trump also defended his decision to instruct his administration to file a lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The lawsuit is based on the fact that a second candidate appeared on the ballot who is also named Dan Sullivan, a move Trump alleged was intentional to mislead voters.

"You have a man named Dan Sullivan, a highly respected senator running. They find a man named Dan Sullivan or Daniel Sullivan, and they put him up as a matter of confusion," Trump said. "It is a totally corrupt weaponization situation, and they shouldn't be allowed to do it. So I recommended it to the DOJ. They looked at it, they agreed with me, and they've gone to court. Let's see what happens. But that's pure corruption."

President praises first lady on ceasefire deal

Trump said the first lady, who brokered a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, is "better than our professionals." 

"Now she got a ceasefire. This has to do with children and people, elderly people," he said. 

Melania Trump said it is great to have the Pope’s support and that the ceasefire is set to start on Tuesday. 

"And I hope everything goes as planned," she said.

Trump on campaigning: ‘It’s a strain'

When one reporter said she was exhausted trying to keep up with an 80-year-old president in light of Trump’s many rallies over the last few days, he joked, "You lose your voice a little bit." 

"It’s a strain. You know, it’s not normal what I’m doing. In fact, I heard a couple of the outlets saying nobody else has ever done it, and it’s hard because I’m not campaigning for myself. I’m campaigning for other people, some of whom I don’t know, but in all cases, I find them to be very good. Some are really outstanding people," he said. "I love the country and I love a lot of these people that I’m campaigning for." 

The president traveled later in the day to Georgia, where he appeared at another political rally.  

 

 

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