US voters are about to deliver their first national verdict on the second presidency of Donald Trump.
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voters → deliver → Trump
On 3 November, millions of Americans will vote in midterm elections to decide control of the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the governorships in 36 states.
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millions → vote → states
The results could have a huge impact on Trump’s final two years in office.
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results → have → office
Today, the Guardian launches its 2026 midterm voter panel.
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Guardian → launch → panel
Our reporters have interviewed nine voters across the country and the political spectrum about the issues that matter to them, from the cost of living, immigration and healthcare to the war in Iran and whether they trust their political leaders.
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they → interview → leaders
The answers – highlights of which are published below – offer insight into the national mood with less than a month to go until election day.
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highlights → publish → day
The Guardian will return to its voter panel before the final votes are cast.
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votes → return → panel
Pentagon's 'disgusting' livestreamed execution plan provokes fierce backlash across political divide
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
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plan → livestreame → blog
The Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, has received fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
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who → livestream → spectrum
In an interview with Real America’s Voice, defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the firing squad will carry out the sentence at Fort Hood, Texas, at 1pm on Thursday, 3 December.
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squad → say → Thursday
A defense department official later confirmed the execution will be livestreamed, prompting condemnation across the political divide.
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execution → confirm → divide
Speaking on CNN, Democratic senator Chris Murphy said:
I mean, that’s disgusting.
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that → speak → CNN
What, is he mimicking ISIS executions?
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he → mimic → executions
I mean, I understand that in this country we have the death penalty, but public execution is medieval.
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execution → mean → penalty
It’s frankly one of the things that we abhor about terrorist groups, and the fact that the United States is doing it - I just learned this.
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I → ’ → this
No matter whether you support or oppose the death penalty, public hangings and executions?
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you → support → penalty
That’s what America has become?
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America → ’ → ?
Um, that’s, that’s pretty extraordinary.
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that → ’ → ?
Republican senator Thom Tillis said public executions were what “oppressive dictators” did.
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dictators → say → what
In a social media post, he said:
Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it?
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execution → say → it
Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do.
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dictatorships → do → Iran
It should not be happening in America.
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It → happen → America
Meanwhile, Democratic senator Patty Murray commented:
We can seek justice in this country without glorifying violence and turning an execution into a grotesque public spectacle.
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We → comment → spectacle
What this criminal did was abhorrent and must be punished – but we as a country cannot condone livestreaming a man’s death for entertainment.
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we → punish → entertainment
Kids watch what our leaders do and say, is this kind of bloodshed really what we want them seeing?
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them → watch → what
The Pentagon must revoke this decision immediately.
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Pentagon → revoke → decision
And the Democratic representative Betty McCollum said:
Secretary Hegseth’s desire to conduct a public execution is disturbing and should be stopped.
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desire → say → execution
The Army has not conducted an execution by firing squad since World War II and the U.S. has not had a public execution since 1936.
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U.S. → conduct → 1936
Nidal Hasan has been found guilty of his crimes and should be held accountable for them but turning a federal execution into a media spectacle is appalling and unbecoming of the U.S. military.
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turning → find → military
The Pentagon’s announcement also drew backlash from human rights groups, while New Zealand’s national censor said on Friday it would be unable to block the planned livestreamed execution.
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it → draw → execution
Speaking about the prospect of the execution being livestreamed, Hegseth had said:
It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks, and so he’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and we’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand there’s serious consequences for these types of things.
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people → speak → things
Hasan opened fire at a medical processing center on the Texas base on 5 November 2009, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more.
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Hasan → open → dozens
A military jury sentenced him to death in 2013, and he has been held at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas ever since.
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he → sentence → Kansas
He exhausted his appeals last year, which cleared the way for Donald Trump to approve the sentence this week on a recommendation from Hegseth.
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Trump → exhaust → Hegseth
In other developments:
In a televised Maine Senate debate Democrat Troy Jackson said that, in addition to Brett Kavanaugh, Republican Susan Collins has voted to confirm dozens of anti-abortion judges.
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Collins → televise → judges
Republican Mike Rogers continually used Islamophobic attacks on Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a Michigan Senate debate, accusing the Muslim candidate of being “bought off by Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaida”.
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Rogers → use → Hamas
Donald Trump claimed that the US will not strike Iran “at any time prior” to the midterm elections on 3 November.
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US → claim → November
The Aporia
