Blue waves have swept away President Donald John Trump and his Republican Party in the US. Even before the Don completed two years of his second term as President, American voters clearly and unequivocally rejected his administration’s policies through the ballot in Midterm Elections. In line with all exit polls and preliminary projections, the opposition Democratic Party has secured full control of both chambers of the US Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The victories of the Democrats in states traditionally considered Republican strongholds, like Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina, demonstrate that the Americans have initiated a silent yet powerful revolution against Trump’s unilateral and capricious policies. This victory is not merely a rise of a political party; rather, it represents a clear course correction by voters against the political philosophy of President Trump.

Two key factors lie behind this unexpected success for the Democrats. Firstly, the unchecked price hikes and the rising cost of living. Ordinary people were deeply dissatisfied with Trump’s tax policies and his overall economic management. And most importantly, the Trump Administration’s sudden declaration of war against Iran. As a result of this war, fuel prices skyrocketed globally and the US economy suffered a severe blow. Voters have held the Trump Administration directly accountable for this bloody and pointless war. Furthermore, young people, as well as a large segment of the Black and Latino populations, have rejected Trump’s personal involvement in corruption, hardline immigration policies and attempts to divide society. They have made a strong stance in favour of the Democrats through the ballot.

Following this disastrous defeat, President Trump’s reaction was, characteristically, a mix of sentiments and full of self-justification. While acknowledging in his initial reaction that the Democrats had done a great job, he sought to deflect responsibility for the defeat from himself. At the same time, the President has acknowledged that the Iran War and the rise in oil prices have had a negative impact on the Republican vote banks. Behind the scenes, however, internal strife within the Republican camp and the frustration of major donors, like Elon Musk, have now become apparent.

The victory for the Democrats in both chambers of Congress has set the stage for President Trump to face severe political obstacles in the days ahead. Over the next couple of years, the Democrat-controlled Senate and the House of Representatives will be able to completely block any of the President’s plans for passing new legislation, allocating budget funds or implementing tax cuts. As a lame duck President, Trump can no longer appoint judges or issue Executive Orders at his own discretion, as he will now have to rely on Senate approval for every such action. Democrats have already started making preparations to set up a series of investigative committees into Trump’s controversial foreign policy and the business corruption involving his family. The struggle for self-preservation may well continue throughout the remainder of his presidential term.

Also, the Democrats’ victory will help alleviate the global instability caused by Trump’s America First (or fiercely protectionist) policy to some extent. An intense pressure, too, will be exerted to de-escalate the war against Iran. This is why the restoration of balance in American democracy is so important to the world.

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das