THAT the Republican Party would lose the midterm elections for the US Congress was never in doubt. It was its overwhelming defeat that surprised everyone. Demo­crats have attained a clear majority in the 100-member US Senate (54 Demo­crats, 44 Republicans) and a massive lead in the 435-member House of Represen­tatives (253 Democrats, 157 Republicans). What explains this major shift? One plausible answer is the Iran war and its effects on gas prices, inflation, and the higher cost of living. Importantly, America’s younger population never owned this war. It has been widely seen as Israel’s war that America was fighting. Vice President J.D. Vance has rightly concluded that “the reason we lost [in the elections] is the war”. Even Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran was a factor, though he defended its objectives.

While the Iran war and its side effects may have been the main reason for the Republicans’ defeat, several other factors also weighed in. In his election campaigns, Trump had opposed distant wars, yet he entered into one with Iran at the behest of Israel. American voters saw this as a clear repudiation of the ‘America First’ approach that Trump had touted in his speeches. It was hard for Americans to accept........

© Dawn