US President Donald Trump was sharply rebuked by American voters, and he could now turn his attention to foreign policy, says Kevin Chen from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
SINGAPORE: United States President Donald Trump was not on the ballot, but he had asked Americans to vote in the midterm elections as if he were.
The response was clear: Democrats have taken back control of both chambers of Congress from his Republican Party.
The election was effectively a referendum on Mr Trump’s policies: Voters were upset over his handling of the economy and related issues such as affordability. Disapproval of Mr Trump’s foreign policy, in particular the Iran War and its repercussions for energy prices, also soured voters from Republican candidates.
This frustration fuelled not just a blue wave, but a blue tsunami that Republican redistricting efforts could not block.