The Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the U.S. midterm elections and gained control of Congress.
Although the party to which the current president belongs usually suffers setbacks in midterm elections, the extent of the Republican defeat this time is seen as a strong rejection of Trump's performance in the two years since he took office in the White House.
From voter dissatisfaction to the president's own lackluster support, here are five reasons why Republicans are losing seats in this election.
1. Soaring cost of living
Voters across the United States are grappling with soaring prices for daily necessities. Voter dissatisfaction has been particularly evident in a number of key elections.
Before the election, a North Carolina voter told the BBC: "Gasoline prices, food prices, everything is going up." She also said that she had switched from supporting the Republican Party to voting for the Democratic Party this election.
In the year to September, U.S. prices rose 3.7%, mainly driven by rising fuel and energy prices. According to government data, the average retail price of diesel in the United States in early October was close to the record high of $6.52 (£4.83) per gallon set in September.
Voter survey data shows that nearly 80% of voters (79%) said that inflation in the past year has caused serious or moderate difficulties in the lives of them and their families.
More than 60% of the respondents blamed Trump, believing that high prices are caused by the president's policies.
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2. War against Iran is unpopular
One of the main reasons for the sharp rise in prices is the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February this year.
Iran subsequently retaliated by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, causing fuel prices to rise sharply. The strait is an important channel for global oil and liquefied natural gas transportation, and the blockade has severely hampered energy supplies.
Since then, American voters have been bearing the cost of higher oil prices.
The war was generally unpopular with most Americans. For Republicans who support the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, the war also creates a sense that Trump has broken the promises of his "America First" campaign platform. He promised at the time that the United States would not be involved in another war.
In a voter survey, about 60% of respondents (63%) believed that the United States’ military action against Iran was a wrong decision.
Another survey showed that three-quarters of voters (74%) said the conflict was a key or major factor affecting their voting preference in the congressional elections.
On the morning after the election, Trump admitted that war was one of the reasons for the Republican defeat, but insisted in an interview with Fox News that he had no choice but to intervene militarily in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
3. The Democratic Party’s campaign message is focused and consistent
The Democratic Party was able to win resoundingly across the country this time, in part because many candidates performed well and gave voters the impression of sincerity and credibility, especially among traditional Republican voters.
Their campaign messaging was clear and consistent, focusing on the cost of living and access to health care.
Former teacher James Talarico and pastor Adam Hamilton also spoke about their religious beliefs, resonating with voters in Texas and Kansas, respectively.
In South Carolina, Democratic candidate Annie Andrews won in an upset. The candidate, a former pediatrician, has made health care affordability a campaign focus. Her advocacy resonated with voters in the United States, where many believe the health care system has serious problems.
Former public health official Abdul El-Sayed won in Michigan, successfully retaining the state's Senate seat for Democrats. He used "Let money out of politics, let money into your pocket" as his main campaign slogan.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who was successfully re-elected in Georgia, made the cost of living and corruption issues the core messages of his campaign.
Ossoff, 39, easily won in this state that twice supported Trump, which is bound to further fuel speculation about whether he will run for president in 2028.
Even Trump himself praised the Democrats, saying in an interview with Fox News that they were "doing a great job."
On the contrary, some Republican candidates, such as Ken Paxton of Texas, have been criticized for poor campaign performance and insufficient focus on issues that voters care about.
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4. Trump’s sluggish support drags down the Republican Party
The two major issues that make voters most dissatisfied, including soaring prices and the war in Iran, are directly related to the president himself.
Trump's approval rating has declined even among Republican voters, leaving some states that supported him in 2024 particularly vulnerable.
To mobilize his supporters to vote, he called on voters to imagine that they were on the list of candidates for this election.
However, Trump has been a central figure in American politics for more than a decade, and some believe that the results of this election reflect that his personal brand is gradually losing its former luster.
Trump's choice to make himself the focus of the Republican campaign at a time when voter dissatisfaction continues to rise is a risky strategy that appears to be counterproductive.
Polls in the months leading up to the election showed that many Americans wanted Trump to pay more attention to their concerns about soaring prices.
But in his final campaign speech in Washington, D.C., on Monday (November 2), Trump spent a lot of time talking about the controversial Reflecting Pool renovation project behind him.
5. Hispanic and black voters are turning again
Two years ago, some Hispanic and black voters switched to the Republican Party, helping Trump achieve a decisive victory. But in this midterm election, this trend appears to be reversing.
Democrats won all House seats in three overwhelmingly Hispanic congressional districts along the Texas-Mexico border.
According to a New York Times analysis, in counties with a majority Hispanic population, Republican Senate candidates' electoral performance fell by more than 22 percentage points compared with the 2024 presidential election.
Jeff Adelson, a data reporter at the newspaper, said the shift was larger than any other major demographic group in the United States.
The shift comes amid widespread dissatisfaction with immigration enforcement in the United States. According to a Pew Research Center survey, more than half of Americans (56%) have a negative view of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Voters in majority-black counties have also shifted significantly toward Democratic candidates in Senate elections.
Mississippi’s Senate race remains close. The proportion of black voters in the state is about 37%, the highest among states in the United States.
If Scott Colom wins, he will become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in Mississippi since 1982.
This article was originally written in English. We used artificial intelligence to assist in translation and was reviewed by BBC journalists before publication. Learn more about how we use artificial intelligence.
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