Blue Wave Fallout: Trump, Impeachment & Undecided Races

Mimi Brown (0:05)

Two Senate races are still too close to call, and in one state, just a handful of votes could determine who wins.

SPEAKER_2 (0:11)

I want to make sure everybody knows that if plurality wins this election, there are no runoffs.

Mimi Brown (0:17)

Plus Democrats are preparing to take control of Congress, and President Trump is already facing questions about another impeachment.

Robert Garcia (0:24)

Are you concerned about it?

Donald Trump (0:25)

Not even a little bit.

Mimi Brown (0:26)

But there's one investigation in particular that could put his administration under a microscope. And we're breaking down who showed up at the polls and who helped deliver the blue wave, including the blue block that overwhelmingly backed Democrats. It's Friday, November 6th. From the Black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown. This is Front Page, and here are the day's biggest stories. Stay with me.

The election may be over, but the counting isn't. And while Democrats are celebrating their victories across the country, there are still some major races that haven't been decided. We start with two Senate races that are still too close to call in Mississippi and in Alaska. And these aren't just close races. We're talking about contests where every vote would make the difference. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colum is trying to unseat Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. At one point, fewer than 50 votes separated the two candidates. Think about that. In an entire state, the race was so close that a few dozen voters could have made the difference. And then another batch of ballots came in and Colum pulled ahead by more than a thousand votes. With 96% of the votes counted, there are still thousands of ballots left to count. And Colum says he is confident those remaining votes will put him over the top.

SPEAKER_2 (1:48)

The people of Mississippi turned out in historic numbers to make this race possible in a midterm election.

Donald Trump (1:54)

We are going to win this. We have already showed the country that Mississippi matters, y'all. I'm going to fight for the issues that actually matter to you.

Wages, jobs, health care, costs. That's what I ran on and that's what I'm going to focus on.

SPEAKER_2 (2:10)

That's what I'm going to deliver.

Mimi Brown (2:13)

Now even with that lead, this race has not been called. Election officials still have to count those outstanding ballots before we know who will represent Mississippi in the Senate.

SPEAKER_2 (2:23)

And I want Mississippians who voted by affidavit because they didn't have photo ID, they have it till Tuesday, November 10th to fix it. Call 888-300-435-0 and we'll help. Let me say that number again. If you need help because you didn't have your photo ID or any help with your affidavit ballot, call 888-300-435-0.

We are here to help because we are going to protect the integrity of the process.

Mimi Brown (2:55)

In Alaska, Democrat Mary Patola holds a slight lead over Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, but 74% of the vote counted. But here's why we may not know the winner for a few more weeks. Alaska uses something called rank choice voting, and I want to explain what that means because it's different from how most states hold elections. Instead of picking just one candidate, Alaska voters can rank the candidates they like in order. So if you have your first choice, your second choice, and so on, if no one gets more than 50% of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Then if you voted for that person, your vote can move to the next choice. That process continues until someone gets the majority. So even though Patola is ahead right now, that doesn't automatically mean she's won. The ranked choice count is scheduled for November 18th, and Alaska expects to certify those final results November 25th. This would mean voters would be waiting nearly three weeks after election day to find out who won this Senate seat.

Now, while those races are still being decided, Democrats are preparing to take control of Congress. And with that blue wave comes a major shift in power in Washington. Democrats will have the ability to hold hearings, demand documents and investigate the Trump administration. And there's already talk about whether Trump could face impeachment for a third time. He was asked about the possibility while speaking to reporters at the White House.

Donald Trump (4:26)

I can't tell you that.

Mimi Brown (4:27)

They may tell you, but I...

Donald Trump (4:28)

Did this bring an impeachment at all? No, no, no.

Robert Garcia (4:33)

Are you concerned about it?

Donald Trump (4:34)

Not even a little bit. I think it would destroy the Democrat Party if they did that.