Trump midterm election results and their impact on the UK, Digi Mart USA News: Donald Trump has received a stinging rebuke from voters in the US midterm elections, as the Democrats took control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The party scored stunning victories in former Republican strongholds such as Texas, South Carolina and Kansas.
As well as reshaping US domestic politics, the “blue wave” that swept across the States could shape how Trump approaches foreign policy in his final two years in office, with profound consequences for households in Britain. Trump will remain President for another two years.
The Democrats flipped key Republican Senate seats in places such as Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Maine. The results have been widely regarded as a consequence of the cost of living crisis, which has been driven by the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Losing both houses will make it hard for Trump to drive his legislative agenda.
Democrat James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Ken Paxton in Texas. Democrat Sherrod Brown won in Ohio, defeating Republican Jon Husted.
Democrat Annie Andrews beat Trump’s hand-picked candidate Darline Graham to take the seat in South Carolina.
Democrat Troy Jackson won, taking the state’s Senate seat for the first time in 29 years. Abdul El-Sayed is projected to win, becoming the first Muslim senator in US history.
Paralympian Josh Turek won a Senate seat in the state for the first time in 18 years.
Democrats needed a net gain of four seats in the 100-member Senate to win a majority, and three seats in the 435-member House. Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff, who won re-election in Georgia, told supporters that “the American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption, and incompetence of the failed lame-duck President Donald J Trump.”
Posting on his Truth Social platform, the President sought to defend the results, writing that he was not on the ballot and that if he had been, “we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” While offering to work with opponents, he also posted a picture of a red baseball cap emblazoned with the word “Veto,” suggesting he would block legislation they sought to take through Congress.
The Republicans’ loss of Congress could leave Trump unable to pass legislation and hemmed in by investigations into the conduct of his administration, including allegations of corruption. One area where the President retains almost exclusive control, however, is foreign policy, so he could become more active and potentially more unpredictable on the world stage.
Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said Trump could still take a considered approach of seeking bipartisan agreement. Given his previous form, though, Mendoza said Trump may pursue a “scorched earth policy” and that “the world could get far more turbulent if he decides to throw the US’s weight around.” He also said Trump could “turn his attention to Cuba,” a move that would likely have limited direct impact on Britain.
Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord, who sits on the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, cautioned that “while many Europeans are delighted, caution is required,” adding: “We should not celebrate Trump’s demise prematurely.”
Iran may be the area most likely to affect British households. Trump acknowledged in a Fox News interview that his decision to join Israel in attacking Iran in February contributed to the Republican defeat: “I think a part of it was Iran.” Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up energy prices and inflation globally, and has also raised energy bills, fuel prices and inflation in the UK.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda that “President Trump has accepted the results,” and that the world has an opportunity to unite around the cost of living. He added that he could not bring down cost of living pressures until the conflict in the Middle East is resolved.
Trump, however, told Fox News: “If we have to do something large… a lot of people would like to do the heavy hit,” raising the risk of further escalation.
If the conflict and energy disruption continue into next year, the public finances could also be weighed down, potentially forcing Chancellor John Healey to seek more taxes in next autumn’s Budget to stay within Britain’s fiscal rules.
The war in Ukraine is another area where Trump’s policy may have a major impact on Britain. Having been defeated at the polls and with little hope of advancing his agenda through Congress, Trump may decide that peace in Ukraine should be his legacy.
The article notes that in the weeks before the midterms, Trump waived various sanctions on Russia and struck a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel.
Democrats have been far more supportive of Ukraine than Trump and could use their majorities to push pro-Kyiv legislation, but Trump would hold the power to veto it. A two-thirds majority would be required to override a veto, with support from some Republicans.
Foord warned that some “very sensible Republicans” lost their seats, including Mike Turner in Ohio.
The midterms could also affect UK party politics. Many Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs welcomed Trump’s defeat, while the President’s weakening fortunes may give Reform UK pause.
Nigel Farage, a long-term friend of Trump, has modelled aspects of Reform’s agenda on the President’s policies. A senior Reform source told The i Paper that the midterm results would reinforce the party’s “distancing” from Trump, and would encourage Reform to focus more on the cost of living and to avoid supporting future military interventions.
