Five reasons why Republicans lost so badly

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Five reasons why Republicans lost so badly Figure caption, Watch: The key moments from the US midterm electionsByJake LaphamPublished4 November 2026Updated 7 minutes agoThe Democrats have swept to victory in the US midterm elections, taking control of Congress. While the incumbent president's party generally tends to have a bad night in these elections, the scale of the Republican defeat is being viewed as a resounding rejection of Donald Trump's two years in the White House. From angry voters to an unpopular president, here are five reasons why the Republicans lost so many seats.

Soaring cost of livingFrom coast to coast, voters across the US have been grappling with the soaring cost of essentials. That anger was palpable on the ground in key races. "Gas prices, grocery prices, everything's going up," one North Carolina voter told the ahead of the elections, adding that she had switched her vote from Republican to Democratic this election.

The Details

Prices increased by 3. 7% in the year to September, driven higher by fuel and energy prices. Average US retail diesel prices in early October were just shy of the record of $6.

83) per gallon seen in September, according to government data. Almost eight in 10 voters (79%) said inflation had caused them and their family a severe or moderate hardship in the past year, according to data from voter polls. And more than six in 10 respondents laid the blame for that at the feet of Trump, saying they thought higher than usual prices were because of the president's policies.

LIVE: Follow the latest results and analysis from US midterms are Trump speaks out on GOP lose 2. Unpopular Iran warA major factor in surging prices has been the war with Iran which the US and Israel launched in February. Fuel prices then shot up after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation, strangling a key artery for the passage of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

What Experts Say

US voters have been paying the price at the petrol pump ever since. The war has proved broadly unpopular with most Americans. For Maga Republicans it also felt like a broken promise in Trump's America First campaign agenda in which he pledged there would be no more wars.

Around six in 10 (63%) of those asked in a voter poll said the US made the wrong decision to take military action against Iran. Separately, three-quarters of voters (74%) said the conflict was a crucial or major factor in their vote for Congress. The morning after the election, Trump conceded the war had played a role in the defeat but insisted in an interview on Fox that he had no choice but to intervene to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.