Trump – he did it again, against all the odds. It's what comes to mind following the mid-term elections in the United States. President Donald Trump is now here to stay, despite the fact that many find his presidency unpalatable – among them Professor Shlomo Avineri and journalist Chemi Shalev.
What haven't they thrown at him these past two years since he was elected? The wave of hate the Democrats generated, with a tailwind from celebrities and various elites helped unify the Democratic party during this campaign.
But the clear Republican victory in the Senate tells us that Trump isn't some unfortunate historical episode. He's the only leader in the United States who could have led a broad resistance movement against the globalist regime, which harmed wide swaths of the American public. He's the only one, perhaps, who could have done a U-turn against Iran, push it into the corner and wipe out the Islamic State group almost completely.
Some four Republican senators, among them Rick Scott and Mike Braun from Florida and Indiana, respectively, owe the president a great deal for their victories. The Republicans' success in holding on to the governorships in Florida and Ohio is extremely significant moving forward, as both parties already begin calculating their strategies for the 2020 presidential election. Florida is always problematic in presidential elections. A Republican governor is a key player in preparing the ground before elections, and sometimes in counting the votes afterward.
Some Democrats in Congress, for example Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff, are serious thorns and will likely receive important roles as committee chairs in the House of Representatives. However, it seems the party's leadership is more conservative and moderate. Nancy Pelosi, who will be the House majority leader, has already hinted she won't cross red lines and won't push for impeachment. She and her partner in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, know that perpetuating the conflict and attempts to sabotage the Trump administration could hurt the Democrats going into 2020. Pelosi will likely try reigning in recalcitrant representatives on Capitol Hill, who are perhaps pondering more and more investigations against the president.
On the fringes of the Democratic Party, the idea of rejecting Israel on an ethical basis is growing. This year, several representatives of this ilk were elected. The most prominent among them is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York. On the other hand, the considerable Republican solidification in the Senate, which includes the political survival of Israel-ally Ted Cruz in Texas and the election of Mitt Romney in Utah, give Israel broader support than before. Still, Trump is now tethered to a heavy ball and chain. It will be hard for him to implement additional economic or domestic reforms.
He will need to make deals with Democratic leaders and he can. This likely won't have much impact on important foreign policy issues such as Israel, sanctions against Iran and the Palestinian matter. The Senate's backing is far more important when it comes to foreign policy.
