Former US diplomat Kent: Election results show Americans unhappy with Trump's policies

The Democratic Party won majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in last week's US midterm congressional elections. George Kent, a former US diplomat with more than 30 years of experience and ex-ambassador to Estonia, told Ukrainska Pravda that the outcome is a direct consequence of President Donald Trump's policies. Trump dismissed Kent in January 2025, and he is now retired.

Kent served under five presidents and was deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kyiv from 2015 to 2018, so he is well versed in Ukraine-related issues. In the interview he also discusses US-Ukraine relations and the upcoming Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Abu Dhabi.

Why Republicans lost

Kent agrees with New York Times journalist Nate Cohn that this was the largest victory in the national popular vote since at least 1976. More than 124 million Americans voted, and the Democrats won by over 13 percentage points. They also took places they had not won for decades, such as Kansas, where they had not won since 1932.

In his view, Republicans tied themselves to Trump's policies, which were deeply unpopular. Kent also cites the perception of corruption and the cost of living, which he links to Trump's tariffs and the war with Iran. Farmers were hit by the loss of Chinese markets for soybeans and sorghum, as well as higher diesel prices.

Kent says some Trump supporters stayed home because they had expected less involvement in foreign wars. According to him, Trump's 2024 coalition has fallen apart: young people, Hispanics and other groups shifted toward the Democrats.

What comes next

Kent argues the MAGA movement was never a majority and predicts it will be very hard for a Republican to win the presidency in 2028. He is sceptical about cooperation between Trump and a Democratic-controlled Congress and expects the president may use his veto.