[US midterm elections] Public sentiment angry at high inflation… Trump's solo judgment on state affairs

The U.S. midterm elections held on the 3rd (local time) were dominated by strong criticism of the Donald Trump administration.

American voters responded to the rise in oil prices caused by the Iran war and the rise in inflation caused by tariff policies by handing over both the Senate and House majorities to the opposition Democratic Party. The core policies pushed under the slogan of ‘America First’ have been shot in the foot by President Trump.

Although vote counting is still in progress in each region, the American media early predicted that the Democratic Party would regain the majority in the House of Representatives.

As of 11:30 p.m., NBC predicted that the Democratic Party would secure 255 out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The Republican Party's lead in the House of Representatives was very small, but it gave up a large number of seats in this midterm election, giving the Democratic Party a landslide victory.

The Senate also lost the majority to the Democrats. It is unclear how much the gap in seats will be widened as there are close contests where the counting of votes has not yet been completed, but the Democratic Party has succeeded in achieving its primary goal of regaining the majority in the Senate.

The biggest reason why President Trump and the Republican Party accepted the shabby report card of crushing defeats in the Senate and House of Representatives was, of course, inflation.

It has been a long time since the price of gasoline exceeded $4 per gallon as the Iran war launched by President Trump at the end of February caused a surge in oil prices.

In the United States, $4 per gallon is considered the psychological Maginot Line. Gasoline prices exceeding $4 per gallon are an unbearable burden for voters in the United States, where the use of a car is essential due to the large land area.

Ahead of the midterm elections, the price of raw milk soared 70% compared to a year ago, and the supply of fertilizers became unstable due to the Iran war, dealing a heavy blow to the agricultural and transportation industries, which are President Trump's support base. Most crop harvesting equipment uses diesel fuel.

As product prices increased due to the tariff war with each country, the burden of living expenses on Americans increased, causing disappointment and anger among independents and Democratic Party supporters as well as supporters.

In an exit poll conducted on voters in this midterm election, the majority of respondents (39%) selected 'the economy' as the most important issue facing the United States.

President Trump's hard-line crackdown on immigration drew cheers from the Republican Party's core white supporters, but it also led to Hispanic and black voters, who greatly contributed to President Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, withdrawing their support.

The Democratic Party dug into these weaknesses of the Trump administration and focused its agenda on ‘affordable living expenses.’ He actively raised suspicions of corruption around President Trump and those around him, targeting independents and moderate conservatives, and won a landslide victory.

The Democratic Party is expected to launch a comprehensive investigation into the Trump administration as soon as the Senate and House of Representatives begin their term in January next year.

Senior members of the Trump administration, as well as members of the Trump family, are expected to be subject to investigation. It is expected that high-ranking officials in the administration and the White House will be questioned about President Trump's unilateral policies, and that his family will be investigated as to how they accumulated a huge amount of wealth after President Trump returned to power.

Although there has not been a set policy within the Democratic Party yet, there is a possibility that calls for impeachment of President Trump will intensify, led by hard-core progressive members of the House of Representatives.

Since impeachment is possible only with the approval of two-thirds of the Senate, there is some cautiousness within the Democratic Party. During the first administration, President Trump was impeached twice, but was acquitted by the Senate.

If the final vote count results show that the Democratic Party's majority lead widens significantly as expected, the Democratic Party will be able to secure significant negotiating power in federal budget and debt ceiling negotiations.

It has become unclear whether the administration's request to increase defense spending or the budget plan for the Iran war will be processed. In particular, the Democratic Party is targeting Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who led the Iran war and has begun to reshuffle high-ranking officials at the Pentagon.

Significant disruptions are expected in President Trump's exercise of personnel authority. The Senate has the power to confirm cabinet members, federal judges, and ambassadors.