Name? Donald Trump
Westphalian identity? U.S. American
Age? 80
Why is he in the news? U.S. President Donald Trump has been eerily quiet on Truth Social as American voters deliver a resounding rebuke to his administration in the Midterms. Despite his litigious and literal campaigns to salvage Republican dominion over Congress, the Democrats have taken over the Senate, House of Representatives and governorships by a landslide (or tsunami).
Why do we care? President Trump has acknowledged Republican defeat and even said that he looks forward to working with Democrats (in another interview he said his name will now be Mr. Veto, so the jury is still out). Although we cannot be sure of what exactly is going to change vis-à-vis U.S. foreign policy, it will surely not stay the same. The set-up of the U.S. government is flexible in this regard; a strong executive could take the lead in decision-making, while a strong opposing Congress could decide to make life very difficult for the president.
Why should you care? A number of foreign policy issues are linked to the pressing domestic issues American citizens are voting on: mass deportations, the war against Iran, tariffs, and military assistance to allies such as Israel and Ukraine. The next two months, while Republicans still control Congress, are unpredictable. We could either see a tamed Trump administration or one with nothing more to lose. This could embolden his inner circle to pursue a more aggressive agenda in the Iranian and Ukrainian theatres.
Who else cares? Trillionaire tycoon Elon Musk spent a record $446 million – million – on Republicans this midterm season in hopes of cashing in on loose AI and data centre regulations. The return on investment is looking less than impressive … Texas.
Any further comments? Although foreign policy is at the top of international spectators’ priorities, we will not yet see much movement on that front before freshman Democrats address domestic affordability challenges.
