# As Australia ponders how to deal with a castrated Trump administration, one lesson is clear: ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ | Zoe Daniel

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/as-australia-ponders-how-to-deal-with-a-castrated-trump-administration-one-lesson-is-clear-its-the-economy-stupid-zoe-daniel/
- Published: 2026-11-04T22:34:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T02:39:14+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/05/as-australia-ponders-how-to-deal-with-a-castrated-trump-administration-one-lesson-is-clear-its-the-economy-stupid
- Topics: Americas, Business, Economy, Elections, Politics, World

## Key points

- Fuel costs helped drive a major Republican defeat.
- Democrats won both chambers of Congress.
- Australia’s government faces a warning about affordability.

## Summary

Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat in the US midterm elections, with voters punishing it amid rising living costs and fuel prices. The article argues that the result shows economic pressures can outweigh other political concerns, offering a warning to Australia’s government as it considers how to respond to a weakened Trump administration.

The article says US petrol prices have risen 40% in a year, while diesel is up 71% since the Iran war disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. It also points to backlash over immigration policies, tariffs, inequality and the influence of big tech. Democrats won both chambers of Congress, while Gina Hinojosa became Texas’s first Latina governor; the author urges Australian politicians to address affordability and inflation.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.