By Jarrett Renshaw

Oct 6 (Reuters) – Democratic lawmakers from northeastern US states urged Energy Secretary Chris Wright to take action to cut soaring heating oil costs they blamed on President Donald Trump’s war with Iran and administration policies, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Led by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the lawmakers said in a letter dated Monday that heating oil prices were about 60% higher than before the conflict and that families could pay roughly $600 more to heat their homes this winter.

Heating oil and diesel are fuels produced from the same refining stream, meaning tight supplies and higher diesel prices can also boost heating oil costs.

About one-third of New England homes use heating oil with the share reaching about half in some states.

The letter adds to political pressure on Trump over soaring energy costs ahead of next month’s US midterm elections. Trump on Monday signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel, allowing anyone to buy the fuel without paying federal highway taxes, regardless of its intended use.

The administration has also pressed European allies to release emergency diesel stocks and threatened a potential US diesel export ban. G7 countries last week agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from reserves.

The moves come as diesel prices have climbed above $6 a gallon, with the administration scrambling to boost supplies and lower costs for the fuel integral to agriculture and trucking ahead of the winter.

The lawmakers said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, low fuel inventories and strong exports have contributed to higher heating oil and diesel prices. They pressed Wright to support an end to the Iran conflict, restore energy assistance and reverse cuts to clean energy and grid upgrades.

“We urge you to support an immediate end to the war and to stop blocking or restricting Department of Energy programs that would help American families lower their energy bills,” the lawmakers wrote.

The issue is landing in two of the Northeast’s most competitive Senate races. Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins is facing a tough reelection fight, while New Hampshire’s open Senate seat is a toss-up between Democrat Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu, according to nonpartisan election analysts.

Collins and independent Maine US Senator Angus King have urged Trump to tap the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, which holds about 1 million barrels and has not been used since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Timothy Gardner and Bill Berkrot)

By Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Lawyers for a former US Olympian accused and then cleared of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool demanded on Tuesday that two government watchdogs investigate the botched renovation of the Washington landmark by President Donald Trump’s administration and the now-dismissed criminal case.

Attorneys for David Hearn, a three-time US Olympic canoeist, urged the US Interior Department’s inspector general to examine the flawed installation of an “American flag blue” liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool beginning in May. They also asked the US Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate the case accusing Hearn of destruction of property, which prosecutors dropped weeks after securing an indictment.

The prosecution of Hearn in July came as Trump blamed alleged vandals for algae blooms and peeling liner in the Reflecting Pool despite evidence that mistakes by a government contractor hired by his administration caused the issues.

The troubled renovation of the pool, which stretches about 2,000 feet (610 meters) along a portion of Washington’s National Mall, became a political flashpoint over Trump’s efforts to remake Washington’s landscape and his use of the criminal justice system against those he views as enemies.

Inspectors general act as independent oversight officials to look into potential abuse, waste and fraud within US government agencies.

In a letter to the watchdog offices submitted on Tuesday, lawyers for Hearn alleged “incompetence and wrongdoing” in both the Justice Department and Interior Department.

“Anything less than a full and fair review would be a betrayal of your mission,” the lawyers wrote.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior alleged Hearn admitted to officers that he tampered with the pool, referring to a court document. The document includes no such admission, but cites a statement from a National Park Service employee, who told investigators that Hearn tugged at the pool lining.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department inspector general declined to comment. A Justice Department spokesperson said the inspector general’s office operates independently “and makes its own decisions about what to review.”

Federal prosecutors have said in court documents that they became aware of more pervasive problems with the renovation project only after Hearn had been indicted.

Hearn was charged on July 2 with destroying a piece of the pool liner. The case quickly unraveled after prosecutors said documents from the Interior Department showed the damage was likely caused by a flawed installation by the contractor.

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro moved to dismiss the case on July 31, drawing a furious reaction from Trump, who appointed her to the post last year. A federal judge last week barred prosecutors from seeking new charges.

The letter from Hearn’s lawyers alleges that prosecutors had evidence of the installation flaws at the time Hearn was charged, but went forward with the prosecution anyway. It further alleges that Pirro improperly sought to question a defense expert who was inspecting the pool during a July 17 site visit.

The lawyers urged the Justice Department’s inspector general to examine political pressure from Pirro and Trump to bring vandalism cases.

Trump ordered a refurbishment of the Reflecting Pool in time for July’s 250th anniversary celebration of US independence. The pool had to be drained again following July 4 celebrations to repair widespread damage to its liner.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Michael Learmonth, Will Dunham, Rod Nickel)

By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday pressed Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, an ally of President Donald Trump, to cooperate with a congressional watchdog’s inquiry into his criminal referrals of alleged mortgage fraud. 

In a letter sent to Pulte and seen by Reuters, Warren said she believes the FHFA is obstructing inquiries from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan government agency. 

Critics say Pulte has politicized the historically low-profile FHFA since he took the helm in March 2025, including publicly referring to the Department of Justice allegations of mortgage fraud by several of Trump’s perceived foes. Those accused have denied the allegations. 

A spokesperson for the FHFA, which was created in response to the 2008 housing crisis to oversee mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said in a statement that the agency always engages with GAO inquiries.

“The Agency has responded to every one of GAO’s inquiries received this past fiscal year,” the spokesperson said.

Pulte has previously defended the referrals as part of his efforts to root out misconduct and fraud in mortgage markets.

“GAO is working with the agency and Congress to obtain the information we need to conduct our work,” a spokesperson said in a statement, declining to say more about the ongoing efforts.

Last year, Warren of Massachusetts and several other Democratic senators pressed the GAO to investigate Pulte’s conduct, concerned that the referrals were politically motivated and misused government resources. 

Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee that oversees the FHFA, said in the letter that it is her understanding that the agency is not complying with the GAO’s requests for information. 

“Such obstruction is illegal and may generate unnecessary costs, inhibit GAO’s ability to protect taxpayers, and hinder congressional oversight,” Warren wrote.  

Warren’s letter follows the FHFA’s move last week to slash funding to its Office of Inspector General, which it said would bring its budget in line with peers. The OIG’s top official subsequently warned the cuts will force it to slash staff and make it impossible to probe misconduct.

That move also sparked scrutiny from Warren and other fellow Democrats. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, also members of the Senate Banking Committee, have asked to summon Pulte to testify at a hearing. 

(Reporting by Chris Prentice; editing by Michelle Price, Jonathan Spicer and Bill Berkrot)

(Grand Island, NE) — President Trump heads to Maryland today after visiting deep-Red Nebraska on Monday for another rally ahead of the midterm elections. He spoke in Grand Island in support of Senator Pete Ricketts and other Republicans running in the state. Trump warned about turning power over to Democrats, saying again this is one of the most important midterm elections ever. Later today, the president will be in Baltimore. He’s scheduled to speak at the Sparrows Point Shipyard at an event hosted by defense technology firm Anduril Industries.

By Richard Cowan

MEDINA, OHIO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Voters started lining up while it was still dark on Tuesday morning at the Medina County Board of Elections on first day of early voting in Ohio, a state that looms large in the nationwide campaigns between Republicans and Democrats battling for control of the US Congress. 

If this biennial midterm election is similar to years past, voter turnout will be lower than in the presidential elections every four years. 

But at least in Medina County in northeast Ohio, residents queuing at 7:15 a.m. (1115 GMT) were taking seriously their right to vote at a time when one US Senate race and two for the US House of Representatives in the state are seen as “toss-ups,” according to the Cook Political Report. 

Registered Republicans, Democrats and independents interviewed by Reuters all shared similar frustrations: they are exhausted by political ads they see as deceptive and mean, they hate the US war with Iran and they really hate the inflation that has become chronic. 

Nobody said they expected things to improved any time soon.   

 Third in the line that awaited the 8 a.m. opening of the polling center was Eddie St. John, 83, who retired years ago from a career working “offshore” in Louisiana, and who lives in Wadsworth, Ohio, population around 24,700. 

Asked what he most wanted to see fixed as a result of the election, which ends on November 3, St. John said, “Mostly its our economy. It sucks.” 

“You can’t afford nothing anymore. Everything’s so high. Gas is getting worse all the time,” he said, adding, “This guy in office now he promises this. He promises that… (but) nothing’s coming down.” 

 “This guy,” St. John said, is President Donald Trump, who isn’t on the ballot. He stressed, however, that he lays blame less on political parties than “the person that’s in office.” 

INFLATION, WAR ON BALLOT

The political party out of power usually benefits in midterm elections. With Republicans holding the White House and both chambers of Congress at a time when Trump’s approval rating is at a record-low 32%, Democrats are feeling increasingly competitive. 

Political analysts will be watching closely what unfolds in Ohio, as Trump has been a dominant force, especially among blue-collar workers who used to align with the Democratic Party. 

But with inflation running at around 3.4%, there is deep discontent over rising food, energy and housing costs. 

The US war with Iran, launched by Trump on February 28 for reasons that critics say he has not clearly presented to the nation, also has voters worried that it will become yet another “forever war.”     

Troy Flohr, 59, a retired policeman with the Medina County Sheriff, complained about the campaign ads from all sides that he said were riddled with “half-truths.” 

Standing just feet away from a voting booth, Flohr said he was still undecided on whether to vote to reelect Republican Representative Max Miller for a third term, despite the fact that he generally votes for the Republican ticket. “I tend to like the rest of them” running as Republicans on this year’s ballot, Flohr said. 

He said his nephew is serving in the US Army and stationed in the Middle East.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Flohr said, “I’m tired of him saying the war’s going to end in two weeks, the war’s going to end next month…I’m getting fed up with that.” 

Yet Flohr said he would “probably” vote for Trump again given the chance. “I don’t like where the Democrat Party has gone. I’m going to leave the rest of that comment alone,” he said when asked to elaborate. 

INDEPENDENTS

Trump won Ohio and the state’s 17 electoral votes handily in 2016, 2020 and 2024, despite losing the 2020 presidential race to Democrat Joe Biden. 

This election could depend on whether disaffected Democrats return to their party and whether many independents turn their backs on Trump’s Republicans.

 Medina County, seen as a swing district, has 132,345 registered voters of which 29,466 are Republicans and 15,872 Democrats. Election officials say there are 86,762 independents, who could determine whether Republicans continue their success there. 

Early voting, which so far was off to a vibrant start, plus mail-in ballots are seen as an early indicator of what turnout could be on the November 3 election day, according to officials. 

SENATE SEAT IN PLAY

Former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, is trying to return to the Senate, where he served for 18 years before being defeated two years ago by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno. 

This time around, Brown, a populist Democrat who long railed against US trade deals with foreign competitors, is attempting to unseat Republican Jon Husted in a special election with the winner holding the seat through 2028.

Political analysts see the race between Husted and Brown as a toss-up.

With Republicans currently holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Democrats are hoping for a net gain of at least four seats, including in Ohio, in order to control the chamber.

CLOSE HOUSE RACES

Meanwhile, two neck-and-neck US House races could help determine next year’s majority in that chamber, which Republicans currently hold with a 218-214 margin. One independent is aligned with Republicans and there are two vacancies that will be filled in the midterm elections. 

In the 7th congressional district, which includes Medina, just south of Cleveland, incumbent Miller is seen facing a tough challenge from Democrat Brian Poindexter.

While Miller has raised far more funds than his Democratic opponent and has Trump’s endorsement in a Republican-leaning district, his campaign has been hit by allegations of domestic violence, which he denies. 

Poindexter is a labor union ironworker and member of a suburban city council.

Meanwhile, in Ohio’s 9th congressional district that covers most of northwest Ohio and hugs the shores of Lake Erie, Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur, a moderate who was first elected in 1982, is battling in another toss-up race against Republican challenger Derek Merrin, who nearly defeated her in 2024.

Annie Wild, 64, a retired public school teacher, said she will vote for all Democrats on the ballot. She also said since the early days of Trump’s second term she has begun to see some of the president’s supporters saying they are abandoning him. But that is not coming from the voters she called “MAGA.” 

“I’ve lost friends that I’ve had for 50 years,” she said of some Trump supporters, because of the gulf between them.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Jonathan Spicer)

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jason Lange

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) – An overwhelming majority of Americans said that it is inappropriate to use taxpayer funds for TV ads featuring the president around an election, in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted as spots with President Donald Trump air ahead of November’s midterms.

The six-day poll, which concluded on Monday, found that 86% of Americans — and four out of five Republicans — think it is inappropriate to use taxpayer money to pay for election-related TV ads featuring the president or his cabinet.

Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized three nationally ​broadcast ads that celebrate a “golden age of America” airing weeks before the November 3 midterm elections. Lawmakers have questioned whether public funds are being used to promote Trump politically, while other critics say the spots may violate longstanding restrictions on government propaganda and political activity.

Trump and his aides have said the ads are educational, patriotic and not intended to promote any politician’s candidacy.

“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” said a White House spokesperson who declined to be named. Trump said late on Monday that he would pay for ads himself or with money raised from the MAGA political committee.

A White House official said on Tuesday that Trump was referring to the MAGA Inc PAC paying for future ads but did not plan to reimburse taxpayers for the ads that the government has paid for in recent weeks.

One ad features Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats “love me.” Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with footage of Trump praising a “golden age of America.” A third describes a “final battle” against the “deep state” and closely resembles one of Trump’s 2024 campaign advertisements.

Each ad ends with a disclaimer that it was paid for by the US government.

Democratic lawmakers have sought independent investigations and said that the White House transferred $20 million in Homeland Security Department funds to air the ads. 

PRESSURE ON REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

Republicans seeking reelection face growing pressure as the president’s approval rating sits at record lows.

Trump has taken a series of unusual steps in recent months promoting his brand and accomplishments, including a sweeping makeover of Washington.

A Trump-appointed board shut down the capital’s landmark John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after courts rejected two plans to put the president’s name on the building. 

Some 71% of respondents oppose renaming the Kennedy Center to include Trump’s name, the poll showed. Just a quarter of Republicans supported that idea.

“For me to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,” Trump said last month.

A MEDIA BAN AT THE WHITE HOUSE

In September, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House before a judge ordered the administration to restore their access. 

Republicans were more supportive of keeping some reporters out of the White House, with 57% backing the practice. Democrats and independents were overwhelmingly opposed. Overall, 68% of respondents said the practice was inappropriate.

The Justice Department has accused the outlets of threatening national security with their coverage, citing stories about US missile stockpiles, construction of Trump’s White House ballroom and turnout at the recent Republican midterm convention. 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online and nationwide, gathered responses from 4,506 US adults and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jason Lange in Washington; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Scott Malone, Rosalba O’Brien and Deepa Babington)

By Steve Gorman and Bo Erickson

LOS ANGELES, Oct 5 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump suggested to a crowd of his supporters in Nebraska that Iran could “take out” a major US city like Los Angeles or San Diego, drawing a swift rebuke from California’s Democratic leaders and some fellow Republicans.

Trump, speaking at a political rally in the state’s farm belt on Monday, discussed American wartime economic sacrifices and said he was determined to “see a tremendous victory, because it verifies all the things we did.”

“And again, remember, with the war, it’s just artificial, it’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay,” he told the crowd in Grand Island, Nebraska, apparently referring to rising prices of fuel, fertilizer and other products attributed to energy market disruptions from the war.

“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon,” he said. 

“It’s essentially almost over with,” Trump went on. “But it’s going to end very soon, and it’s going to end one way or the other.”

On Tuesday, the White House dismissed criticism of the remark. “The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said in a social media post. “America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money.”

Trump has shrugged off cost-of-living concerns stemming from the Iran conflict before, and he previously downplayed his concerns about the potential for Iran or its allies to launch an attack on US soil.

EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN CALIFORNIA

The comment in rural Nebraska, a state Trump won with more than 55% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election, targeted Democratic-run cities in California, a solidly Democratic state the president often criticizes. 

Monday’s comments prompted a backlash from California officials.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, denounced the Republican president as “deranged and dangerous.”

“After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California, Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego,” he wrote on X.

Newsom, who has positioned himself as a major political foil to Trump and is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, juxtaposed a video clip of Trump in Nebraska with mention of the president’s previous rhetoric to justify deploying US military troops to Los Angeles and other cities to fight crime and enforce immigration.

California’s early voting for the November midterm elections started on Monday. The president’s Republican Party has hoped to win more races in the state in recent years, including this year’s gubernatorial election. 

Newsom championed the redrawing of California’s congressional map last year to favor Democrats in this year’s election after Trump pushed for conservative-led Texas to redraw its map to boost Republicans.

One of the Republicans running in a competitive race in a redrawn California district near San Diego, Jim Desmond, distanced himself from Trump’s remarks.

“I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments. America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our Commander in Chief is to protect the American people and our homeland,” he wrote on X. “No American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage.” 

US Representative Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans and is running for re-election in a competitive race in northern California, said in a statement that Trump’s comment was “unhelpful.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, said in a statement that Trump’s comment “could potentially compromise our safety.”

Los Angeles and San Diego rank as the largest and second-largest cities in California by population.

More than 115,000 activity-duty service members are also stationed in San Diego, including Naval Base San Diego, the largest on the United States’ west coast.

“My constituents — including many active duty service members, veterans, and their families — are not acceptable collateral damage in Trump’s stupid war,” US Representative Sara Jacobs, a Democrat, said in a social media post.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Bo Erickson in Washington; additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Susan Heavey and Nolan McCaskill in Washington; Editing by Neil Fullick and Chizu Nomiyama)

By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to decide control of the US Congress.

Two-thirds of US adults — up from 53% in 2020 — said they are in favor of universal US health insurance often referred to as “Medicare for all,” according to a poll conducted by health policy research firm KFF released on Tuesday.

By party affiliation, 84% of respondents who identify as Democrats and 72% of independent voters were in favor, while 66% of Republicans were opposed.

When told such a single-payer model would eliminate private insurance plans, that overall support dropped to 52% — still well ahead of the 37% favorability seen in the 2020 survey.

Medicare is the US government program that provides health coverage to about 70 million people aged 65 and older or with disabilities. Lawmakers, including US Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, have suggested expanding Medicare to ensure health coverage that currently relies heavily on employers. Most developed countries have a single-payer system.

The poll also found broad bipartisan support for a complete redesign of the US healthcare system at a time of economic uncertainty for many voters.

“All year, KFF polls have shown that the public is frustrated with the high cost of healthcare, and that may be leading to a desire for change,” said Audrey Kearney, a senior survey analyst at KFF.

LEADING ECONOMIC CONCERN

Healthcare expenses were the leading economic concern for Americans surveyed, with 60% of respondents saying they are very or somewhat worried about affording health costs. Gasoline and grocery costs followed at 59% and 52%, respectively.

KFF’s survey, conducted in September, includes responses from 1,328 US adults, the vast majority of them registered voters.

Several progressive candidates this year in states that could help determine the congressional balance of power have come out in favor of a government-run health insurance system. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic US Senate candidate from Michigan, has argued that the change would lower costs and expand coverage.

Ahead of the November 3 elections, more voters are eager to hear congressional candidates discuss health insurance access, KFF said.

Some 30 million of the 340 million US residents will be uninsured this year, up from 26.6 million in 2025, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, as federal funding declines for Affordable Care Act plans and for Medicaid for low-income people.

Private companies, such as CVS Health, UnitedHealth and Humana, operate health plans for employers as well as Medicare and Medicaid plans.

Asked about Medicare for all if it led to delays in tests and treatments, higher taxes and damage to the current Medicare program, as some opponents claim, Kearney said support fell.

It rises, however, when they are told such a system would make health insurance a right and could eliminate premiums and cost-sharing.

“These are the types of claims opponents and proponents would likely make in any real debate,” Kearney said.

(Reporting by Amina Niasse; editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)

By Jacob Bogage

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Oct 5 (Reuters) – US Vice President JD Vance cast Alaska as Republicans’ midterm election firewall in their bid to retain control of Congress as he rallied with voters on Monday for Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican locked in a tight reelection campaign.

Conservatives aim to stem Democrats’ momentum headed into the vote, with President Donald Trump and Vance embarking on nationwide campaign tours through Election Day on November 3.

But many of their stops are in deep conservative territory where Democrats are uncharacteristically competitive. Alaska is one such locale. Sullivan, a two-term lawmaker, is well known in the state and a close Trump ally, and Alaskans voted for Trump in 2024 by a 13-point margin.

Sullivan’s opponent, Democrat Mary Peltola, lost her reelection bid for the US House of Representatives in the same election cycle.

“The Democrats are obsessed with this state this cycle,” Vance told a rally at Fairbanks International Airport.

“They see the Last Frontier as their last best hope to take America in a far left direction, to impeach Donald Trump, to turn off the energy project that we are building all across this state and to throttle this state and this country’s incredible progress.”

But voter dissatisfaction with cost-of-living issues — especially in Alaska, where costs are generally higher than in continental United States — has put the state in play.

Peltola has tried to capitalize on the sentiment, running a campaign based on “Fish, Family and Freedom” that argues Sullivan is too beholden to Trump and “Lower 48ers.”

A New York Times poll that ran from September 24 to October 1 showed Peltola with a 7-point lead, though polling the heavily rural state is difficult.

“In very deep red years, Alaska is competitive. In very deep blue years, Alaska is still competitive,” Vance said on Monday before taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “So I think it’s just a reality of the politics of the state.”

Trump and Vance have positioned the midterms as a referendum on their administration. Trump rallied with voters in Grand Island, Nebraska, earlier Monday to impart the message.

“When I am on the ballot, people show up and we always win. I am asking you to do me a favor and pretend I am on the ballot,” Trump said. Trump has falsely claimed that his 2020 presidential election loss was due to widespread voter fraud.

He and other Republican figures have encouraged conservative voters to turn out even if they had concerns about the party’s candidates. Trump has repeated the refrain, mostly about Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton. 

“We are not just the firewall for Alaska. Alaska is the firewall for freedom for America right now,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan has said his focus on energy production in fossil-fuel-rich Alaska will lower consumer prices.

In the Oval Office last week, Trump made Sullivan the face of a $200-billion energy investment package in Alaska that includes a South Korea-backed pipeline.

Seoul quickly said the pipeline would only proceed ​if certain commercial and legal conditions were met.

On Monday, the Energy Department announced $150 million in funding for electrical transmission lines that officials said will serve three-quarters of Alaska’s population of 735,000. The administration credited Sullivan with securing the resources.

Sullivan has also urged Trump to ban diesel exports as fuel costs rise amid a lengthening war with Iran, while Russia and Ukraine exchange strikes on energy infrastructure.

Diesel costs averaged $6.60 per gallon in Alaska on Sunday, data from the American Automobile Association showed.

“The Iran conflict is temporary,” Sullivan told the rally. “The true forever war is national Democrats’ war against Alaska energy and Alaska jobs.”

(Reporting by Jacob Bogage; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Christopher Cushing and Clarence Fernandez)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Monday said taxpayers will no longer pay for television ads featuring him shortly before the November congressional ​elections after widespread criticism of the campaign-style spots.

Ethics experts and lawmakers from both parties ⁠have criticized the three nationally broadcast ads, which celebrate a “golden age of America,” and called for independent investigations.

In a post on his Truth Social site on Monday, Trump said he considered the ads to be “a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A.” but that they would no longer be funded by taxpayers and said either he or his MAGA PAC would fund the ads.

Trump’s MAGA Inc political action committee has about $400 million. A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters that going forward the ads would be paid for by the PAC.

Lawmakers have questioned whether public funds are being used to promote Trump politically, while other critics say the spots may violate longstanding ​restrictions on government propaganda ​and political activity.

Democratic lawmakers said last month that the White House transferred $20 million ​in Homeland Security Department funds to air the ads, including one that closely ​resembles a 2024 Trump campaign ad, and sought independent probes.

The ads have run during football games as recently as Sunday and during other programming. The New York Times reported that Trump personally directed the White House budget director to use taxpayer money for the TV spots, citing sources.

One ad features Trump declaring that “America will never be a communist country” while a chorus repeats the words “love me.” Another combines images of Mount Rushmore with ⁠footage ​of Trump praising a “golden age of America.”

The ads end with a disclaimer ​saying they were paid for by the US government.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday called for an independent investigation, calling it a “staggering misuse of public funding and breach of public trust,” after two Democratic congressmen last week urged a probe.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican named to his position ​by Trump, last week said the ads were appropriate and rejected a request to investigate them.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas and David Shepardson; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Christian Schmollinger)