President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will stop providing Israel with $4 billion in financial assistance by the end of 2026, making the declaration during an Election Day interview with Fox News.
Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the decision, arguing that Israel no longer needed the funding.
“They don’t need it,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
The president explained that continued US assistance had become a political issue that Democrats were using against Republicans during the election campaign.
He said Republicans were facing criticism over the amount of money allocated to Israel, adding that the issue had become an unfavourable talking point for his party.
Trump also referred to Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has campaigned on an anti-Israel platform against Republican Mike Rogers.
Trump Cites Political Pressure Over Israel Funding
Explaining his decision, Trump said the United States had provided Israel with more assistance than any other country and argued that the Israeli government was now capable of managing without it.
He said the funding had become difficult for Republicans to defend when voters questioned why billions of dollars were being allocated to Israel.
The $4 billion in assistance forms part of a 10-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2018. Trump’s announcement indicates that he intends to end the arrangement before its original conclusion.
Midterm Elections Put Control of Congress at Stake
Trump’s announcement came as millions of Americans headed to polling stations for the 2026 midterm elections.
Republicans entered the contest controlling the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, but pre-election polling had pointed to the possibility of significant Democratic gains.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and several Senate seats are being contested, alongside governorships and other state-level positions.
Democrats need to win four Republican-held Senate seats to secure control of the chamber. In the House, they require a net gain of three seats.
The first polling stations are scheduled to close at 6pm Eastern Time, while the final closures are expected at 1am. Results will depend on the counting of ballots across the country.
Maine Voters Express Opposition to Republican Senator Susan Collins
In Portland, Maine, voters were turning out at one of the area’s main polling locations, where election workers reported waiting times of approximately 30 minutes at 10am.
Several voters who spoke to the Daily Mail said they had supported Democratic candidate Troy Jackson in his contest against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Some said their decision was driven largely by dissatisfaction with Collins rather than strong familiarity with Jackson, whose campaign lasted approximately 100 days after former Democratic candidate Graham Platner withdrew in July following sexual assault allegations.
Voter Oliver Adams said Collins’ record was a major factor in his decision to support Jackson.
Another voter, Drew, said he was dissatisfied with what he considered the establishment’s approach to representing Maine residents.
However, Collins retained support among some voters in Portland. One woman who backed the Republican senator said she believed Collins would deliver better results for the state.
She also raised concerns about the economy, the conflict in Iran and the potential influence of socialism in the United States.
Republican Strategists Brace for Possible Democratic Gains
Republican campaign strategists were reportedly concerned that the election could produce a worse result for their party than previously anticipated.
According to the report, some individuals with access to private polling were considering the possibility of substantial Democratic gains across the country.
The prospect of a Democratic wave had become a growing concern among Republicans as voting began, with several traditionally Republican areas emerging as competitive election battlegrounds.
Jewish Voters in Detroit Explain Support for Mike Rogers
In Michigan, some Jewish voters in Detroit told the Daily Mail they were supporting Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers rather than Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
Voter Shlomi Bennett said he had concerns about El-Sayed’s response to antisemitism, including his position on advertisements that some Jewish voters had described as antisemitic.
Bennett also referred to El-Sayed’s associations with controversial public figures, including Hasan Piker and Tucker Carlson.
He said he had supported Haley Stevens during the Democratic primary and viewed her subsequent endorsement of Rogers as evidence of divisions within American politics.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin also described Stevens’ decision to endorse the Republican candidate as courageous, saying voters should respect political decisions even when they disagree with them.
Trump Attacks Democratic Candidate Abdul El-Sayed
Trump separately criticised El-Sayed in a post on Truth Social, making accusations about the candidate’s views towards Jewish, Black and white Americans.
The president urged Michigan voters not to support the Democratic nominee, who is competing against Rogers for a Senate seat.
The contest is among the closely watched races expected to influence control of Congress.
Minnesota Records Highest Midterm Early Voting Turnout
Minnesota recorded more than 886,000 early votes during the 2026 midterm elections, surpassing its previous midterm record of 687,062.
The state’s secretary of state’s office confirmed the figures, while Minneapolis also recorded a new early voting high, with approximately 69,000 ballots cast before Election Day.
The Senate contest in Minnesota is attracting attention, with Democratic candidate Peggy Flanagan leading Republican nominee Michele Tafoya in pre-election polling.
Michigan Reports Strong Early Voting Participation
Election officials in Michigan reported that 32.9% of active registered voters had cast their ballots by 7am on Tuesday.
The figure included more than 750,000 people who voted early in person, alongside absentee ballots and votes cast after polling stations opened on Election Day.
The Senate race between Rogers and El-Sayed is one of the contests being closely watched as voters decide which party will control Congress.
Justice Department Investigation Widens Over Alaska Senate Race
A separate controversy involving Alaska’s Senate election has prompted a widening investigation by the US Department of Justice.
The investigation concerns allegations that Democrats recruited a candidate with a name similar to that of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan to confuse voters and potentially benefit Democratic candidate Mary Peltola.
Sources cited by The New York Times said approximately 20 letters had been sent to Democrats informing them they were targets of the investigation.
Those reportedly contacted included election lawyer Marc Elias and at least one official from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The letters concerned possible donor fraud and conspiracy offences, according to the report. The allegations remain under investigation.
Ballot Machine Problems Disrupt Voting in New York District
Voting machine problems in Westchester County, New York, created difficulties on Election Day in the state’s 17th congressional district.
Republican Representative Mike Lawler is seeking to retain his seat in the district, which is considered competitive.
Journalist Tara Rosenblum reported that an election source believed the disruption could prevent officials from determining the winner on election night.
Voters were instructed to complete paper ballots, which officials said would be kept in secure bags until counting began after polling stations closed.
Westchester County, which has more than one million residents, is also an important voting area in the New York gubernatorial contest between incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul and Republican Bruce Blakeman.
