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US braces for election meddling ahead of midterms

Oct 22, 2026, 6:26pm EDT
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Voters at a polling station in Lansing, MI, USA.
Carlos Osorio/Reuters

The Trump administration accused Canada of election interference, as politically-charged fears swirled over potential meddling ahead of the US midterms. Ottawa denied the charges and banned its diplomats from being seen with US candidates.

Democrats on intelligence committees told NPR they are bracing for US President Donald Trump to allege foreign meddling: ā€œWe’re making the assumption that the president is not going to accept the results of what looks to be a very challenging election for him.ā€

Some US officials are advising states on the potential for Trump’s interference, as the federal government prepares election-related lawsuits. Meanwhile, hundreds of lawyers have volunteered to monitor for meddling, with one advocate saying, ā€œIf Trump gets up to shenanigans we’ll be litigating very vigorously.ā€

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