US Midterm Elections: Voters Punish Trump

According to the latest results from the US midterm elections, the Democrats have won a majority in both houses of Congress. The press discusses the reasons for the Republicans’ rout and how President Trump will react to the shift in the balance of power. Democratic tsunamiJOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. NRC sees this as an unprecedented failure for the Republicans (Netherlands): “The defeats suffered by the Republicans on Tuesday cannot be explained away by the low turnout among their otherwise loyal supporters. The Democrats have not only remobilised the voters who cast their ballots for them two years ago: they have also won over followers among first-time voters, disgruntled citizens who defected to Trump last time, and, without doubt, voters who had plumped for Trump before that. Perhaps it didn’t even matter which Republicans he himself chose on the basis of their loyalty: they all lost.” A country united against its president The midterm elections aren’t merely a setback for Trump, they’re a crushing rejection of his policies, notes The Spectator (UK): “By the time he leaves the White House, if not sooner, Trump will likely be the most reviled president in American history. His ruinous tariffs have stimulated inflation. His lavish spending and tax cuts account for a fourth of the 40 trillion federal deficit. His administration has become a byword for malversation. His fealty to Russian President Vladimir Putin has not only jeopardised Ukraine but also Nato. And his war in the Middle East, a direct violation of his own America First edict, has enmeshed America in a fresh foreign policy imbroglio.” Other Topics of Interest Trump Rejects Blame for GOP Rout: ‘I Wasn’t on the Ballot’ Trump offers cooperation but threatens vetoes after Democrats’ congressional sweep sets up a confrontation during his final two years in office. Dragging the Republicans down with him The US President only has himself to blame for the Republicans’ defeat in Congress, Novinky.cz (Czech Republic) comments: “Trump has lost the aura of a visionary who would do politics differently and focus more on people. ... The last year and a half have shown that he has failed to make America great again. On the contrary, he has made it weaker. ... For the next election, and perhaps even the one after that, the Republicans must consolidate and find a new direction. Trump is dragging them down with him, and clinging to him could prove fatal. Many may therefore turn away from the US President over the next two years.” Maga movement under pressure Once again it has been shown that the US midterms amount to a referendum on the president’s governance, Delo (Slovenia) points out: “Trump will not be the first US president to govern by ‘pen and telephone’. ... The new ‘Mr Veto’ would need the support of the majority of Republicans for his ambitious plans to make America once again a leading industrial power. There is now a risk that the ‘Republicans in name only’ – as he has derided the more traditionally minded conservatives – will turn against him. At the same time, the Maga movement could lose public support. Since Trump’s aura of infallibility among his supporters is gradually fading, the entire Maga movement is ultimately at risk.” Compromises or more trauma? La Repubblica wonders how Trump will react to the defeat (Italy) : “‘I am absolutely willing to accept those results.We’ll ⁠work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward ⁠to working with them. We’ll probably work something ⁠out.’ This is what Donald Trump told the New York Times following his clear defeat in the midterm elections. It remains to be seen whether he will keep his promise and avoid inflicting further traumas on the United States like the storming of the Capitol on 6 January – and also what compromises he is prepared to make. This includes Iran, where he may continue to succumb to the strong temptation to use military force to distract the country and the world.” Shift in the global balance of power This could mark the beginning of a new world order, argues columnist Pierre Haski (France) on France Inter: “Although he will continue to do just as he pleases, Trump risks being brought down by the weight of the institutions, which will seek to re-establish the principle of the separation of powers that has been completely disregarded for the past two years. ... An all-Democratic Congress could investigate the corruption within Trump’s inner circle and the failings of Pete Hegseth, fight for every dollar spent on an endless war in Iran with no clear objective, and block his rapprochement with Putin’s Russia. ... Whether the defeat is partial or total, Trump has failed in his attempt to impose an American imperial order on the world. Both the US’s partners and rivals will see this and feel emboldened, as Canada has shown, to shift the balance of power.”