Trump’s defeat in the midterms: the predictable effect of an indignity

This Tuesday in the United States, the Republican Party suffered a major electoral defeat in the midterm elections.

Giorgia Meloni’s speech on Ukraine, criticizing Trump’s pact with Putin
An immoral reward from Trump to Putin for massacring civilians in Ukraine

The disaster is of such magnitude that the Democrats have secured a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives—a development that will now serve as a significant check on conservative policies, which I, frankly, regret. Furthermore, the Democrats have won in Texas for the first time in 31 years—one of the Republican Party’s staunchest strongholds. And that is not the most surprising outcome: they have also won in Kansas, a feat they had not achieved since 1932.

As you know, I consider myself a person of the right-wing, a classic liberal-conservativ, and I hold a deep admiration for Ronald Reagan, one of the best presidents the United States has had in the last century. It is precisely for this reason that, for the past two years, I have been critical of some of Trump’s decisions; they represent a betrayal of the conservative principles and the ideals of defending liberty upon which the true greatness of the United States is founded.

Trump has had no qualms about betraying Ukraine, siding with a mass murderer and enemy of the West—Vladimir Putin—who, for more than four and a half years, has been committing all manner of atrocities as part of an abhorrent invasion of a European nation. The Ukrainian people have demonstrated an admirable patriotism—a quality Trump has not hesitated to disparage—repeatedly reproaching Zelensky for failing to strike a deal with the invaders.

In recent months, we have also seen Trump strike a deal with the socialist dictator Delcy Rodríguez—betraying the democrats of Venezuela—in exchange for securing that country’s oil. In May, Trump turned his back on Taiwan—free China—following a meeting with the communist dictator Xi Jinping; this marked a new shift, through which the current American president demonstrated just how easily dictators can sway his position (first the one in Moscow, and now the one in Beijing). This Monday, hours before the aforementioned elections, Trump also turned his back on Israel, yielding to the campaign waged by the antisemitic left in the United States, as well as to pressure from the antisemitic far-right—a faction that is growing increasingly influential within the MAGA movement.

To these betrayals of United States allies, we could add the colossal follies Trump has committed regarding tariffs—turning them into a punitive tool against U.S.-friendly nations simply because they maintain a positive trade balance—all while simultaneously easing sanctions on Russia. Nor should we overlook other actions by the current U.S. president—actions that raise serious questions about his sanity—such as his desire to annex Canada and Greenland, which have created unnecessary and severe diplomatic tensions with two nations that have long been close allies of the United States.

I do not deny that Trump has done things favorable to conservative values, but at what cost? Was it really necessary for him to commit all those acts of betrayal and engage in such reckless behavior? Beyond his specific decisions and the ideological orientation that may lie behind them, Trump has exhibited a style of politics that is inappropriate for a democracy, displaying a level of narcissism and authoritarianism that deserves to be criticized—whether it characterizes a socialist like Pedro Sánchez or someone like the current U.S. president. I refrain from attaching specific labels because Trump has shown that he is not a conservative, but rather an opportunist devoid of principles, often driven by mere whims or personal self-interest—a trait he also shares with Sánchez.

In March of last year, I warned here that Trump was tearing the conservative movement apart, creating a rift that will be difficult to heal. I was referring then to his betrayal of Ukraine—a point to which we can now add everything else I have just mentioned. This Tuesday, the midterm elections demonstrated the significant damage Trump has inflicted upon the conservative cause in the United States, facilitating a major victory for a Democratic Party whose socialist wing is growing ever stronger and increasingly aligned with the Islamist movement. Trump has two years left in his term to undo the harm he has caused. Frankly, I am skeptical that he will do so. At the very least, I hope the Republican Party begins to seek a more sensible candidate—someone capable of steering us away from this disaster ahead of the next presidential election.

The European right should learn from what has happened in the United States, not merely because it could prove electorally damaging, but as a matter of decency. The servile attitude Trump has displayed toward Russia is nauseating; it has—quite rightly—disappointed many conservatives in the U.S. Even if it had offered some electoral advantage, which it has not, yielding to the enemies of the West sets the right on a path to ruin. This applies as much to Ukraine as it does to Israel and Taiwan—three free nations making great sacrifices to defend themselves against totalitarian regimes like Russia, Iran, and communist China.

The European right should learn from what has happened in the United States, not only because it could prove electorally damaging, but as a matter of basic decency. The servile attitude Trump has displayed toward Russia is nauseating and has—quite rightly—disappointed many conservatives in the U.S. Even if it had offered some electoral advantage, which it has not, yielding to the enemies of the West is a path to ruin for the right. This applies to Ukraine, as well as to Israel and Taiwan—three free nations making great sacrifices to defend themselves against totalitarian regimes such as Russia, Iran, and communist China. Committing such an indignity, as Trump has done, inevitably carries consequences: in this instance, it has alienated many right-wing voters and allowed the left to capitalize on the situation.

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Photo: The White House.