Political scientist predicts 'unpleasant surprises' for the White House after the congressional elections

Election results and the reaction in Washington

Following the US midterm elections held on November 3, the Democrats won a majority in both chambers of Congress, replacing the Republicans. Political scientist Andrey Kortunov spoke to Izvestia in an interview about the possible consequences of this outcome for the White House, noting that after the final vote count, the Republicans may face new 'unpleasant surprises' (his comments were reported by Gazeta.Ru).

Rallies and the mayoral election

According to Kortunov, on the night of November 4, when the scale of the Republicans' defeat became clear, spontaneous rallies took place in Washington: participants took to the streets and chanted slogans against Donald Trump. The expert also noted that the president perceived the victory of Democrat Janine Lewis George in the Washington mayoral election as a personal challenge. Her platform includes building affordable housing, curbing the growth of utility costs, and expanding low-income families' access to quality education. Kortunov believes that the election of a 'democratic socialist' could become a new direction in the struggle of Trump's opponents.

The president's own explanation of the defeat

Donald Trump himself attributed the election result to the consequences of the war with Iran, in particular the rise in gasoline prices. Trump and Vance had previously publicly explained the Republicans' defeat as well. Thus, alongside the political scientist's assessments of further risks for the White House, sources also record the official version of the reasons for the loss given by the president himself.