What the New Congress Could Mean for Trump's 'America First' Agenda

Analysis
by Jordan Tama

Voters delivered a rebuke of the Trump administration’s approach to Iran, Russia, and tariffs in the US midterm elections. Can the next Congress advance a new foreign policy agenda?

The House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 8, 2008.
Susan Walsh / AP
US Foreign Policy

Why the Midterm Elections Won’t Bring Back Free Trade

Analysis
by Patrick Leblond

Moving forward, business leaders around the world will need to overhaul their export and import strategies.

A phone records U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaking during a press conference Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee, Wis.
Kayla Wolf / AP
Global Economy

Trump Fractured NATO. Can a New Congress Restore the Alliance?

Analysis
by Coauthors

America’s allies are watching the US midterm elections closely and preparing for potential foreign policy shifts.

A person carries the US flag onto the podium prior to a media statement from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Virginia Mayo / AP
US Foreign Policy

What a Democratic-Controlled Congress Could Mean for US Economic Policy and the Global Economy

Analysis
by Mark Copelovitch

Today’s rising inflation, debt, and economic problems are nearly entirely self-inflicted.

Gas prices are displayed on a gas station in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October. 13, 2026.
Richard Vogel / AP
Global Economy

Why Big Tech is Betting on the US Midterms

Analysis
by Mallory Knodel

With federal regulation hanging in the balance, powerful AI companies are backing candidates on both sides of the aisle in a bid for control.

President Donald Trump, left, speaks with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic as he speaks with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Washington.
Alex Brandon / AP
Technology

Can a New Congress Compel Trump to End the Iran War?

Analysis
by Paul Poast

While the US midterm elections may spark congressional action on tariffs, Washington is backed into a corner in the Middle East.

Fallen autumn leaves are seen on the lawn in front of the US Capitol
Mariam Zuhaib / A{
US Foreign Policy

How Will the New Congress Handle China?

Analysis
by Paul Heer

Taiwan and AI will serve as litmus tests for how the next Congress wants to engage with Beijing.

 President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
US Foreign Policy

Can the Russian Threat Keep the Transatlantic Alliance Together?

Analysis
by Coauthors

At the Warsaw Security Forum, Trump’s diesel deal and domestic tensions clouded conversations between European and American leaders.

People watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a large screen as he speaks at the Warsaw Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026.
Attila Husejnow / AP
Geopolitics

Food Security in a Time of Change

Analysis
by Bob Easter

Geopolitical developments are having disruptive impacts on Midwestern agriculture.

A combine, top, harvests corn while unloading grain into a wagon, bottom, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at a farm near Allerton, Ill.
Joshua A. Bickel / AP
Food Security & Sustainability

Insulating Global Hunger from Petropower Geopolitics

Analysis
by Coauthors

When wars disrupt the trade of not just food but energy, history shows a deepening of hunger follows.

Road tankers are filled with gasoline unloaded from ships anchored offshore and held in storage tanks at the Baniyas Oil Terminal in Tartous province, Syria, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
Ghaith Alsayed / AP
Food Security & Sustainability