Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
The heavy defeat of Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the midterm elections, which handed Democrats control of both the House and the Senate, is linked to a combination of severe economic fallout from the war in Iran, soaring living costs driven by tariffs and sanctions, and the poor performance of the president’s personally chosen candidates.
Analysts and the White House leadership agree on a series of crucial factors:
- The economic impact of the war in Iran
The main political cause, openly acknowledged even by vice president JD Vance, was the armed conflict against Iran launched in February. This war betrayed Trump’s original election promise to avoid new international conflicts. Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz sent global oil prices soaring, leading to a sharp rise in petrol prices at the pump and fuel costs in the United States. - Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis
Almost nine voters in ten cited the cost-of-living crisis as the decisive factor in their choice. Beyond fuel, inflation (around 3.7%) and rising mortgage rates have put severe strain on household budgets. Trump was directly blamed for this situation, as his aggressive trade policies and radical tariffs were seen by Americans as accelerating the rising cost of living. - The poor performance of Trump’s chosen candidates
The vote showed a clear rejection of candidates personally selected by Donald Trump (such as the defeat of Lindsey Graham’s family or Darline Graham in South Carolina). Trump himself admitted his inability to transfer his personal support to ballots where his name did not appear, stating: “With me on the ballot we would have won, but you cannot transfer that love.” - The collapse of the electoral coalition
Compared with the presidential election, Republicans suffered a significant loss of votes among key demographic groups that had previously supported Trump, particularly Hispanic voters and young people aged 18 to 34, who considered the White House’s migration and economic policies harmful to their communities.
The convergence of these events turned the midterms into a harsh referendum on Trump’s second presidency, reducing him to a “lame duck” for the remaining two years of his term due to the solid Democratic majority in Congress.
I believe it is important to share a reflection that concerns all of us, even in our daily work.
Our so-called Western society is succumbing under the pressure of Islamo-woke invasions. We are witnessing a progressive dismantling of the values, traditions and freedoms that have defined us for centuries, in the name of an ideology that tolerates no dissent and seeks to rewrite our identity.
I believe that, as entrepreneurs and professionals, as Christians, we cannot remain indifferent. Defending who we are also means defending freedom of enterprise, merit, our culture and the future of the next generations.
We have been under attack for a long time! Or have we not?
Giovanni Intravaia