Midterms won’t change Australia’s approach to Trump

The Democrats retaking power in the US Congress won’t change how Australia deals with Donald Trump, the deputy prime minister says, despite the president’s power being weakened.

The midterm elections led to the Democrats winning several Senate seats from the Republicans, including in states like Texas and Kansas for the first time in decades.

The Democrats will control the US House of Representatives and the Senate, limiting the authority of Mr Trump in Washington.

But despite the shift in US politics, Australia’s approach to dealing with the Trump administration will remain the same, according to Richard Marles.

“We live in a world today where we face a very challenging strategic landscape, and in that context, our alliance with the United States is crucially important, so it’s our job to manage it,” he told ABC TV on Friday.

“The alliance today is as important as it has ever been, and whoever’s in the White House., and frankly whoever’s governing Australia, it’s profoundly important that we are the custodians of the alliance.”

The rising cost of living, driven by increasing fuel prices from Mr Trump’s war against Iran, has been blamed for the swing against the president’s party, with the Republicans losing several traditional strongholds in the midterms.

Mr Marles said there were many lessons governments around the world, including in Australia, could take away from the midterm results.

“It’s to state the obvious that cost of living is a factor literally every election in history, and that’s completely understandable,” he said.

“What we’re seeing around the world is this inflationary environment …. challenges in respect of cost of living are being experienced in North America as they are in Europe, and so we’re obviously mindful of that.”

Trade Minister Don Farrell told the Australians Financial Review the loss for the Republicans was a vindication of the stance the federal government had taken against tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

“All tariffs do is push up the price of goods for ordinary consumers, in this case, American consumers,” he said.

“The argument I will be presenting to my counterpart, US trade representative Greer, and the ambassador, is that they need to rethink this strategy because the American people have rejected it.”

Nationals Senator Bridge McKenzie said there would be many implications domestically from the US elections.

“We don’t have the same political system here in Australia, but if we were to hold midterm elections today, I’m sure Anthony Albanese would be suffering the same fate,” she told News24.

“Obviously, keeping the people that you represent front and centre, keeping your election promises are critical to any liberal, democratic leader.”