Paulo Sande said Donald Trump is unlikely to soften his stance towards Europe even if Democrats take control of Congress. In an interview about the US midterm elections, the European affairs specialist said the president had already described himself as “Mr. Veto” and would continue pursuing his priorities if Republicans lost seats.
Sande said the president’s room for manoeuvre would be most constrained if Democrats won both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Even so, he argued that foreign policy was less likely to be the main focus of pressure on Trump than domestic matters. A Democratic-controlled House could launch investigations, leaving Trump, his family and associates occupied with responding to inquiries and accusations, he said.
Sande also said he expected pressure on Trump to grow as political attention shifted towards the next presidential election. But he did not expect that pressure to substantially alter US policy towards Europe, noting that Washington’s broader shift in direction had begun before Trump, even if his rhetoric had been unusually direct and harsh.
The interview also addressed early voting, which Sande described as exceptionally high, with more than 50 million votes cast before Election Day. He said the participation appeared to reflect strong motivation among Democratic voters, while cautioning that the outcome would depend on the results in both chambers of Congress.
Sande said a Democratic win in the House appeared likely, while control of the Senate remained less certain. He highlighted the possibility of disputes over results in states including Alaska and said delays or challenges could become a key issue in the days after the election.
Sources: Observador.