From the weakening of Republican leadership to growing tensions with European allies, Trump’s policies are reshaping political equations in the US and beyon
BY Annpurna Nautiyal*
November 8: In recent memory, the Republican Party has suffered one of its most unprecedented routs in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Despite the fact that even as a lame-duck President, Trump’s authority will not be fully diminished, countries across the world had their eyes fixed on the outcomes.
States such as Michigan and Texas going to the Democratic Party, as well as the election of Muslim, women, transgender, Hispanic, Latino and Indian-origin candidates, clearly indicated that American voters, who turned out in large numbers, were not convinced by President Donald Trump’s divisive policies, despite his hectic campaigning for Republican candidates.
Blaming various communities, pursuing anti-immigration policies and the harassment of people by ICE agents were also seen as damaging American values. America had never been such a divided society, nor had its leadership been so unpopular worldwide.
Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, set the tone in his victory speech by pointing to some of the failures of the administration. He said that he refused to accept that his little daughters would inherit a dark, dangerous and cruel future, with artificial friends, secret and corporate money, and a world in which people die not because there is no cure but because they cannot afford it.
He also spoke of a world in which might makes right, with enough nuclear weapons to destroy everything but inadequate access to affordable healthcare and Medicare. Ossoff also raised concerns about the lies Trump had told about the Iran war, which was still continuing without any tangible results.
The same sentiments were expressed by Michigan Senator-elect Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, whom Vice-President J.D. Vance had called “very, very evil” at an election rally, accusing him of deepening racial and religious divisions.
Abdul responded by saying that “evil is ripping health care away from working people in exchange for tax breaks for billionaires. Evil is making
pay more for groceries and gas, trade wars, actual wars, dividing people for your own gains and selling morals for a little bit of power”.
This makes it clear that every section of society was frustrated with the Trump administration’s policies and that such a defeat was almost inevitable. Although no pollster had predicted such a huge victory, Trump’s declining popularity had been indicative of the outcome.
Initiatives such as major alterations to the White House, the construction of a ballroom, an unnecessary and inconclusive war with Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a worldwide oil crisis, and Trump’s excessive closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin were rejected by the electorate.
His offer to buy diesel and gas from Russia despite its war with Ukraine, and his efforts to woo Chinese President Xi Jinping, who openly signals to rivals that the world needs what China produces, from rare earth materials to solar equipment, drones and drugs, also contributed to the rejection of Republican policies.
The Democrats’ victory, capturing 54 seats in the Senate and 253 in the House of Representatives, has changed the political landscape.
This has triggered internal churning, debates about the future course of the Republican Party and considerable soul-searching.
On the one hand, Vice-President J.D. Vance has distanced himself from Trump, blaming the Iran war and his pro-Netanyahu/Israel policies for the humiliating defeat.
On the other hand, during a media interaction after the midterms, Trump completely refused to endorse Vance. He said, “Maybe he won’t run. I don’t know who’s going to run,” adding that the field would be open to anyone interested in contesting.
Trump has not hesitated to express doubts about Vance as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
There were also assumptions in political circles that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seriously considering resigning from the administration to distance himself from Trump and try his luck in the 2028 presidential election. Ambassador Sergio Gor, who is very close to Trump, was considered a likely candidate to replace him.
Questions have also been raised about the qualifications of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to serve as US envoys to Russia and the Middle East. Both have entered public service from the private sector, and their close personal relationships with President Trump, along with their backgrounds in real estate and business, have been cited as their principal qualifications.
This has also given impetus to the theory that Trump’s primary interest is to make money for himself, his family and friends through Russian oil fields, rather than advancing MAGA, ending wars or uplifting the lives of ordinary Americans.
Megyn Kelly, a conservative media host, bluntly said in the aftermath of the Republican Party’s disastrous rout in the 2026 midterm elections that the party was “in ruins, and maybe it needed to be”. She called for deeper reflection on the issues responsible for the defeat.
She held Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s war on Iran responsible for the rout, arguing that it had increased inflation and raised the cost of utilities and services, making life difficult for ordinary Americans.
Kelly asserted that the party had to undertake considerable soul-searching and learn to fight elections without a father figure like Trump.
However, the Democratic Party will need to turn its immediate attention to issues such as rising unemployment, increasing commodity and fuel prices, affordable housing and healthcare, restoring the pride of the American education system, bringing about desired changes in humanities education, ensuring easier access to education, and determining the future course of the Iran war and peace in the Middle East.
Other pressing concerns include harassment and unnecessary delays in the issuance of H-1B visas and Green Cards. Given Trump’s unpredictable attitude and the veto power available to him, it would be interesting to watch how the changed dynamics of Congress work with a mercurial President.
While Americans are ecstatic about the midterm outcomes because they hold Trump’s policies responsible for the hardships they face, an examination of the world at large reveals unprecedented unrest in different parts of the world, particularly Europe, much of which is linked to US policies.
In this context, the student-led movements in France and other European countries deserve attention, as they have deep links with US policies. Initially, these movements targeted deteriorating school conditions and faulty admission systems. However, they soon developed into mass movements, with people from different generations joining in response to worsening economic conditions, the rising cost of living, poor public services and unaffordable housing.
These hardships were further aggravated by rising prices resulting from the oil crisis triggered by America’s war with Iran.
However, President Trump held European countries and their immigration and diversity policies responsible for these movements. He also advised them to learn from his anti-immigration policies, which ultimately contributed to the Republican Party’s downfall in the midterms.
Unfortunately, India is also witnessing Gen Z movements driven by young people’s dissatisfaction with the examination system, unemployment, corruption and voting-related issues.
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The relentlessness and frequency of such movements, coupled with the tendency to handle them through force, can be dangerous. A middle path, supported by effective policy measures to strengthen the education and economic sectors, needs to be developed in a world full of uncertainties.
The cracks in the NATO alliance are also becoming increasingly visible because of Trump’s policies and his failure to treat European allies with equality and respect.
Canada, one of America’s oldest and closest neighbours, has been so deeply antagonised by Trump that it is now repositioning itself alongside European countries.
How India, the world’s largest democracy, fits into this changed political scenario is also an important question. Despite enjoying close ties with previous US administrations, India has been largely ignored and antagonised by the Trump administration through its pressure for a trade deal and the imposition of what New Delhi considers unfair trade tariffs.
Although Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited New Delhi and, more recently, Jamnagar to inspect Reliance’s oil refineries and assess their capacity to process Venezuelan oil, Trump did not find time to visit India.
He did visit China, but not Russia, although he met both countries’ Presidents on the sidelines of international summits. He has hosted Putin once and reportedly aspires to host him again, but no similar willingness to host the Indian Prime Minister has been evident.
India aspires to maintain good working relations with the US while preserving its strategic autonomy and securing recognition as a key country in the Asia-Pacific region for maritime security and the maintenance of a rules-based order.
However, Trump has denied India this role, which is a matter of concern and calls for a reset in bilateral relations.
(Ms. Annapurna Nautiyal is former Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Political Science, HNB Garhwal Central University, Srinagar, Garhwal)
