President Donald Trump cast his ballot for the midterm elections on Saturday in West Palm Beach. He arrived at the polling site with First Lady Melania Trump after spending the morning at his nearby golf course.
The couple walked into the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office together to vote early. Trump told reporters he voted for every Republican on the Florida ballot. “Very much so,” he said when asked if he stuck to the party line.
He faced a grueling schedule leading up to this moment. The New York Post reported that the president admitted his voice was tired from constant campaigning. “It’s a strain on your voice. It’s a strain. You know, it’s not normal, what I’ve done,” Trump told reporters after voting. He skipped his usual round of golf to focus on the races. “I wasn’t in the mood to play. Because I’m too busy,” he said regarding his decision to hit balls with pros instead of playing a full game.
Before heading to a rally in Georgia, Trump made a major announcement about healthcare funding. RedState reported that he unveiled a $275 million initiative to recruit and keep nurses in nursing homes. The program is called the Nurses for Nursing Homes plan. It aims to support more than 4,000 nurses across the nation. “Today I have breaking news for the benefit of American seniors,” Trump said during the event in Fort Myers.
The plan offers real money to workers who stay in the field. Eligible participants can get up to $40,000 to pay back student loans. They may also receive a $10,000 stipend. In return for a pledge to work a minimum of 30 weekly hours over three years, this is provided. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will provide $100 million. States are adding at least $175 million more. The funds come from penalties collected from nursing homes that broke the rules.
He also spoke out about a controversial ad in Ohio involving candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The ad drew fire for featuring the mother of a political rival. Trump defended his choice to tell his team to block the certification of the Alaska Senate race if Dan Sullivan loses.
The issue involves a second candidate with the same name on the ballot. On the topic of the war in Iran, he offered a mixed outlook. “I may have to finish it off. Or maybe they’ll make a deal, but I’m not sure. Either way, we win,” he said.
Trump noted that he is not running for himself this time. “It’s hard because I’m not campaigning for myself – I’m campaigning for other people, some of whom I don’t know,” he explained. He plans to keep traveling to help the Republican party. He mentioned he might return to South Carolina soon to support Senator Darline Graham.
The president insisted his efforts would change the usual results for his party. “There’s no president that’s ever campaigned like I have,” he claimed. Melania Trump also addressed questions about her potential trip to Ukraine. “We will see,” she told reporters when asked about traveling to the conflict zone.
