NUNZIUM

On December 6, the 2022 midterm elections officially concluded after the vote in Georgia. The final result is 51/49 Senate seats for the Democrats and 222/213 in favour of the Republicans in the House. Nearly a month ago, after the vote in Nevada, it was already clear that the Democrats had control on at least 50% of the Senate seats, meaning a majority thanks to the power of casting vote of the Vice President (now Kamala Harris, a Democrat). The voice in Georgia, however, is significant as the Democrats won a crucial seat that allows them to keep the majority in the Senate even if a Republican vice president takes over in the next presidential elections. While victory in the Senate is undoubtedly important, the situation changed in the opposite direction in the House of Representatives. The Republicans had won control of the US House already on November 16, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden's agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. Just one day after retaking a majority in the US House of Representatives, Republicans have said they will investigate the president's family as a "top priority". The lawmakers said the inquiry would focus on the overseas business dealings of the president's son, Hunter Biden. The 52-year-old is already under federal investigation but has not faced any charges. The younger Biden is not involved with the administration in any capacity. But top Republicans insist their inquiry will determine the extent of Joe Biden's alleged involvement in his son's business dealings, including during the elder Biden's time as vice president. This situation will complicate the ability to govern both parties during and after the ongoing presidential mandate. However, the results are more favourable than predicted for the Democrats, as Republicans hoped to entirely reset the agenda by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden's lagging popularity. Despite a worse-than-predicted outcome, former President Donald Trump launched on November 15 his third campaign for the White House: "To make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump said before an audience of several hundred supporters in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, "America's comeback starts right now," he said, formally beginning the 2024 Republican primary. It is worth noting that Trump was the first president to be impeached twice, and his supporters violently stormed the Capitol during the transition of power on January 6, 2021. But the campaign of Donald Trump has to face more than "just" the proof of ballots. Recently, on December 7, a Manhattan jury found two Trump Organization companies guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records connected to a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation for top executives. The Trump Organization could face a maximum of $1.61 million in fines when sentenced in mid-January. The guilty verdict comes as Trump is under scrutiny by federal and state prosecutors for his handling of classified documents, the effort to overturn the 2020 election results, and the accuracy of the Trump Organization's business records and financial statements. He is also facing a $250 million civil lawsuit from the New York attorney general alleging he and his adult children were involved in a decade-long fraud. The attorney general seeks to permanently bar them from serving as an officer or director of a company in New York state, among other penalties. Trump Org. attorneys said they plan to appeal.