In the US, the important midterm elections are in full swing. And although he himself is not up for election, Donald Trump hovers over the heads of his “Grand Old Party” like a puppeteer. A look at the selection of candidates, in which he helped many loyalists to run, shows how great his influence among the Republicans still is. Many observers therefore also see the midterm elections as a vote on Trump, which could help decide whether the ex-president will make a new attempt for the White House in 2024.
In the past few months, he had repeatedly toyed with the idea publicly. At a campaign event in Florida on Monday, he announced that he would make a “very big announcement” next Tuesday. One day before the midterms, Trump is deliberately increasing the hustle and bustle about his expected renewed candidacy.
Donald Trump’s candidates on the rise
Until then, the 76-year-old appears to be enjoying his role as Republican kingmaker. In the primary campaign for the congressional elections, he supported numerous candidates who were characterized above all by their unconditional loyalty to him – and by the fact that they repeated his often refuted allegations of voter fraud.
This gave the Republicans numerous candidates with dubious political skills. A prime example is Senate candidate Herschel Walker in southern Georgia. The former American football star has attracted attention with allegations of domestic violence and false information on his CV. In the past few weeks, the political newcomer, who appears as an arch-conservative opponent of abortion, has also come under pressure from two women who have said that he had urged them to have abortions in the past and had paid for the abortions (the star reported).
With candidates like Walker, Democrats are hoping to defend their razor-thin Senate majority. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said he sees his party’s “candidate quality” as a problem. Trump has “little to gain” in the upcoming congressional elections, says history and media professor David Greenberg of Rutgers University in the state of New Jersey. “But Trump has a lot to lose because if his candidates turn out to be flash in the pan, it will seem like he’s lost his magic.”
Tight midterms race in Senate
But of course it could be different. Many Senate races are extremely close and could still swing in Republican favor. Trump himself is making a series of campaign appearances in the final spurt for the midterms to mobilize voters. And even if the Republicans fail to win back the Senate, it doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative impact on Trump. The ex-president’s supporters are characterized by almost boundless loyalty, which has already survived completely different crises.
It is probably only a matter of time before Donald Trump himself is back on the ballot paper.