Donald Trump’s unrelenting focus on the ‘beautification of Washington’ and Fox News ratings did not stop the Democrats’ decisive midterm election wins

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Standing at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool on Monday afternoon, Donald Trump zeroed in on his closing message of the high-stakes midterm elections: it can take a long time to get rid of filth.

Less than 24 hours before Americans headed to the polls, the US president staged a bizarre press conference in which he touted his troubled $14m renovation of the Washington DC landmark and blamed his predecessors for the algae that once bloomed in its water.

Hinojosa wins momentous victory, shatters Republican grip on key office and will become state’s first Latina governor

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In a seismic political upset that would have seemed improbable only a few weeks ago, Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated three-term governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, shattering the Republican grip on the highest and most powerful executive office in Texas.

Hinojosa’s historic victory – she will be the state’s first ever Latina governor – ended Abbott’s bid for an unprecedented fourth term, and delivered Democrats their most consequential victory in the state in a generation.