First Thing: ‘Counting window’ seen as high-risk time for Trump to cast doubt on midterm results
Experts warn Republicans may try to sow distrust and claim ‘foreign interference’ in crucial hours after counting begins. Plus, two pandas have a new home thanks to US-China diplomacy Good morning. Election experts have warned that Donald Trump’s administration could use the crucial hours and days after November’s midterm elections to disrupt the results after struggling to enforce the crackdown…
The clock is ticking for Donald Trump's administration in the crucial hours following the midterm elections. Experts warn that Republicans may attempt to cast doubt on the results and claim "foreign interference" during the counting window. After a series of court setbacks to their voting restrictions, the post-election period is being viewed as particularly vulnerable by former federal government officials.
Caitlin Durkovich, a former deputy homeland security adviser, explained that the administration, having lost many of its efforts to disrupt the normal process in court, might resort to alleging foreign interference in an attempt to seize equipment or ballots, even if not legally justified. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, authorities intercepted a group of men with suspicious vehicles near an airbase, leading to five arrests.
The incident occurred around midnight Sunday, when a resident noticed three white vans parked on a country road and called the police upon seeing a group of hooded and balaclava-clad men.
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