Trump foreign policy hits voters in the pocketbook, imperilling Republicans in midterms

Foreign policy is rarely the deciding factor in US midterm elections, when economic considerations usually drive voters choices. But this time, with Donald Trump’s war on Iran and his sweeping tariff campaign pushing up costs for Americans, a presidents approach to world affairs has itself become a pocketbook issue. As the November 3 elections approach, there are growing signs that voters are drawing that connection directly, creating a major liability for Trump and his fellow Republicans and imperilling their control of Congress. A flag supporting US President Donald Trump outside the venue of his rally ahead of the midterm elections, in Macon, Georgia, the US on Oct 24, 2026. — Reuters Those include a Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showing some 78 per cent of Americans blame Trump’s policies for rising prices that are outpacing their earnings.

Not since 2006, when then-president George W Bush’s Republicans lost both legislative chambers while he was mired in the unpopular Iraq war, has a US leaders handling of international events appeared so central to shaping the midterms outcome. The political backlash for Trump could be even bigger, with opinion polls showing that voters feel the economic pain from high gas prices and rising grocery bills in a way that they didn’t two decades ago. The bottom line is people are experiencing the impact of Trump’s war and other policies, said Christopher Preble, a senior fellow at the Stimson Centre think tank in Washington. Now voters have a chance to register their discontent with how he’s dealing with all this. Politics driving foreign policy With Trump’s approval ratings touching historic lows , he has left little doubt, despite his public claims to the contrary, that he sees the straight line voters are drawing between…