It was not the hodgepodge of Democratic leftists that won, but the inability of the leadership under Trump to fulfill the MAGA ideology
Why did the Republicans and Donald Trump ultimately suffer defeat in the midterm elections on November 3, 2026? To recall, the Democrats—a hodgepodge of leftists and centrists—managed to capture the Senate with 54 seats against 44 for the Republicans and the House of Representatives with 237 seats, not due to a compelling program, but because of Republican failure. Trump was defeated even though Wall Street set record highs, with the evaluation of the 500 largest companies in the S&P 500 barometer index surging from $45 trillion in 2024 to $71 trillion by November 2026. However, US national debt reached a record $40.6 trillion while US GDP stands at $32.6 trillion. Trump's success on Wall Street is evident, but in fiscal matters, the US condition deteriorated severely, featuring a fiscal deficit at $2 trillion.
The main causes of the failure of the Republicans and Trump are summarized in 3 main axes...
The US failed miserably in Iran
Americans traditionally punish failure in a war... Iran was a massive mistake; the US became trapped in the foul plans of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and, under pressure from the powerful pro-Israel lobby, entangled itself in an endless war that the US military could not win. Americans should not have gotten involved in Iranian affairs—they had no business there—as the leadership of Israel entangled them deceitfully and insidiously. The US military suffered a complete disaster in the Middle East: 17 primary American bases were closed because they sustained horrific damage. The 5th Fleet base in Bahrain became a wasteland, the emirates lost their faith in American protection, and the US ran out of missiles such as Patriot and THAAD defense systems. American military superiority symbolized by aircraft carriers proved full of holes, turned into scrap metal riddled with openings.
If Trump had won in a clear and distinct manner, he would have entered the midterm elections not as a president who initiated yet another endless war in the Middle East, but as the first US president in 46 years to win a war against Iran—a war that President Carter lost, President Reagan avoided, and all subsequent presidents merely managed. The historical lesson is that, in the United States, if a president gets involved in a war but fails to organize a victory parade, he loses the election. A possible exception is President George H.W. Bush (the elder), who won the Gulf War in 1991, leading an international coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait in an extraordinarily short military campaign. However, he lost the 1992 election due to domestic economic discontent—a situation accurately captured by the campaign slogan: "It's the economy, stupid!". Yet, exceptions do not prove the rule.
The fact that losers—or those perceived as losers—do not win elections has held true for 75 years. Truman realized it in Korea. Johnson in Vietnam. Carter in the Tabas desert in Iran. George W. Bush on the streets of Fallujah in Iraq in 2006. Now, Trump realized it in Iran in 2026. History repeats itself.
Ultra-expensive gas from $3.10 a gallon to $5.20
Americans are accustomed to using cars and agricultural machinery, and generally make heavy use of automobiles due to vast highways. The gallon, which is the American unit of measurement equal to 3.75 liters of gasoline (1 gallon = 3.75 liters of gas), surged from $3.10 to between $4.85 and $5.20. In 2018, for example, a gallon of gasoline was equivalent to $2.80. America is an oil- and fuel-producing nation possessing its own energy sources, and Americans were accustomed to stability for decades. The increase in fuel impacted American households and, combined with the cost inflicted on the American way of life by the Hormuz crisis caused by Iran, caused the cost of living to skyrocket. Wall Street may have been breaking records, but in the US, 10% of Americans control 88% of the country's wealth. Wall Street did not touch the majority of Americans, whereas Hormuz hurt deeply.
Nullified the MAGA ideology
Make America Great Again, or MAGA, was Trump's core campaign slogan that delivered him a overwhelming victory. The MAGA ideology rested on the simple logic that the US government must turn to its domestic issues, improve the standard of living for the many, halt foreign entanglements, and cease participating in wars that do not serve American national interests. It is no coincidence that during the first year of his second term, Trump enjoyed record popularity and approval ratings. When he initiated unnecessary wars—such as Venezuela, Iran—unleashed economic tariffs, and began abandoning the central core of the MAGA ideology, many ideologues departed and Trump policies took a downward turn. Journalist Carlson, who participated in the MAGA movement, departed and warned as early as late 2025 and early 2026 that a painful defeat was approaching.
Conclusion
Obviously, Trump is a distinct personality. The defeat suffered by the Republicans was crushing. It was not the hodgepodge of Democratic leftists that won, but the inability of the leadership under Trump to fulfill the MAGA ideology. Furthermore, unnecessary economic wars, defeats like the one in Iran, the general reality that outside the US he is largely hated or dismissed, and domestically he failed to control the cost of living add up to the main causes of the painful defeat. Now, as a president of vetoes and clashes with Congress, Trump will have to manage the trajectory of the US government under adverse political conditions.
www.bankingnews.gr
Σχόλια αναγνωστών