Five global stories to watch as the US waits for midterm election results
From Iran to Russia to Trump’s tweets and Twitter storms, here are five global stories to watch as the US waits for the results of its midterm elections. They’re all linked, in one way or another, to the world of politics.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have already begun the drama by moving on two major issues: an effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, and the effort to pass a clean budget, which can be used to pass spending bills to fund the government.
Trump’s tweets
On Twitter, Trump made a point of criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But the two men are now in the middle of a summit in Helsinki.
Trump’s tweets over the last 24 hours read like a mix of politics and the tabloid media, where his own comments are often twisted into a political attack.
In response to a question about why Russia’s attacks on American democracy are allowed — as in, not only approved by Trump, but a policy he continues to encourage — Trump said he’d like the world’s other dictators to see what would happen if they invaded America. If they did, they’d find the country is “great people, great power.”
But Putin seemed to downplay Trump’s comments. He said he “hopes” Trump’s comments weren’t meant to be taken literally, and that Trump was simply “wishing” for countries like Russia to have “more influence.”
But the former KGB agent, who has reportedly been in contact with Trump since his days in the White House and has been advising his administration, was quick to rebut the president’s words.
“When anyone is accused or accused of something bad, they must be reminded that there are always many innocent people, not just one, who are targeted as well,” Putin said, according to the Moscow Times.
Trump’s tweets
The president’s tweets may have played a role in the outcome of the midterm elections, but they also had an impact on the world.
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