US Sends Third Carrier to Gulf as Early Ballots Pass 21 Million
Military reinforcements arrive in the Middle East while nearly 21 million Americans cast votes ahead of the November 3 election.
By Layla Fontaine ·
The United States is moving a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East as military preparations for potential conflict with Iran accelerate. This deployment follows a recent visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A person briefed on U.S. and Israeli war planning told NPR that both nations are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that his country is ready for both diplomacy and war.
Trump has signaled he will likely weigh military action after the election to avoid a spike in oil prices before voters head to the polls. According to the University of Florida's Election Lab, nearly 21 million Americans have already cast ballots by mail or in person. That total increased by about 2 million in a single day. Early voting in key battleground states is higher than during the previous midterm cycle, though Democrats are currently voting at higher rates than Republicans.
Political dynamics remain tense as election day approaches. A federal judge in California has restricted pre-election field operations by the Department of Homeland Security. The department claims these efforts aim to identify noncitizens who allegedly voted illegally in nine states. In a separate legal matter, a federal magistrate judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC. The judge warned that failure to comply with court rules could result in sanctions.
The BBC lawsuit centers on a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that allegedly edited Trump's January 6 speech. Trump argues the broadcast is false and defamatory under Florida law. BBC attorneys are seeking details on Trump's state of mind during the speech and how he has profited since returning to the White House. They note that more than 200 January 6 defendants have said the speech motivated them.
Economic pressures continue to weigh on voters as grocery prices rise. Ground beef reached $6.79 per pound last month, an 85 percent increase over the last decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eggs dropped to $2.27 per dozen after hitting a record $6.23 in March 2025. Butter averaged $3.96 in September, down 17.3 percent from a year earlier due to oversupply. Coffee remains 44 percent higher than two years ago despite the removal of tariffs on the product.
