Trump took to social media with a defensive retort: "I wasn't on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" But the midterm election is, in many ways, a public verdict on the administration in power. His name may not have appeared on the ballot, but his influence was evident in the record of his administration.
Voting in the US midterm election took place on November 3. Major US polling organizations and news outlets projected that Democrats were on course to take control of both chambers of Congress. In the weeks leading up to election day, Trump crisscrossed 19 states to campaign for Republican candidates, turning the whole election into a personal political spectacle. Soaring living expenses and mounting pressure on the healthcare system ranked among voters' top concerns. Yet the administration appeared more preoccupied with political theatrics than with addressing people's everyday struggles. As forecasts increasingly pointed to Republican losses, the White House showed little appetite for self-reflection, instead dismissing voters' choices as impulsive. It even moved to cast doubt on mail-in ballots and challenge voter eligibility, exposing an unwillingness to accept an unfavorable result.
Big money poured into the race on an unprecedented scale. Spending on the midterms surged to a record US$11.9 billion. Elon Musk alone reportedly spent nearly US$450 million backing Republican candidates, seemingly betting on a more favorable regulatory environment for his tech empire. But money could not buy voters' support. Despite pouring resources into traditionally Republican strongholds, the party suffered setbacks in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and beyond. The Republican Party has become increasingly bound up with Trump's personal political brand. As public sentiment shifts, cracks are beginning to show within its ranks. Potential contenders are watching closely, weighing their options and positioning themselves ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Still, victory in this partisan contest brings no genuine reprieve for ordinary people. With Democrats controlling Congress, they may block legislation and launch investigations and subpoenas, yet they lack the power to upend this capital‑rooted electoral system. The party also relies heavily on deep‑pocketed donors, and its moderate and progressive factions hold sharply diverging priorities, making sweeping reforms to lift grassroots living standards highly unlikely.
The two parties may trade bitter blows on the domestic front, but their reliance on unilateral sanctions and foreign intervention remains largely unchanged, regardless of who controls Congress. All the noise and drama of the midterms amount to little more than a periodic release valve for public frustration. They do little to challenge the entrenched interests of the military-industrial complex and Wall Street. Ballots may change the balance of power on Capitol Hill, but they cannot wipe away the bill that keeps coming due. The ones left footing it are ordinary Americans struggling with soaring prices and rents and a world repeatedly thrown into turmoil by US hegemonic ambitions.
Related News:
Watch This | When wildfire crosses borders, apologies should too
Comment