Ukraine Allies and Tariff Costs Set Stage for Republican Midterm Challenge

Roughly 70% of voters now disapprove of President Donald Trump's management of the economy and the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to a recent AP-Norc survey. This dissatisfaction arrives as Americans prepare to vote in midterm elections on November 3. The survey indicates that inflation and foreign policy have become central concerns for the electorate.

The economic pressure stems from two primary sources. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, following a war launched with Israel in February, has driven global oil prices higher. These costs have translated into higher prices for gasoline and diesel in the United States. Additionally, tariffs imposed on imports have raised the cost of raw materials such as steel, copper, and aluminum for American manufacturers.

In Pennsylvania, Ukrainian Americans are organizing to vote based on their country's fate rather than party loyalty. Irene Skulsky, a retired teacher in Jenkintown, told a group of seniors that voters must "shift the balance of power in Congress and in the Senate." Her son, Darko, survived a Russian drone strike in Kyiv in part because the U.S. suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which had previously provided early warnings of attacks.

Eugene Luciw, a representative of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, stated that foreign policy is the top issue for his community. He noted that more than 75% of those who supported Trump have abandoned him following the administration's recent moves. These moves include a deal to purchase nearly 5 million tonnes of diesel from Russia, a move that overrode U.S. sanctions.

The administration's stance has also strained relations with Canada. After bilateral trade talks collapsed in August, the U.S. imposed tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian imports. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered retaliatory measures. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers released an ad urging Trump to end the trade war, stating, "Canada is not our enemy."

The U.S. State Department denied stopping intelligence sharing with Ukraine, yet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country received no advance warning for two recent missile attacks. Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian" after Putin agreed to release a 74-year-old U.S. citizen who had been imprisoned in Russia.

Peter Hewuka, an 88-year-old retired nuclear physicist and lifelong Republican in the Philadelphia area, said he is hesitant to vote for a Democrat but feels he cannot support the current Republican leadership. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is home to approximately 60,000 people of Ukrainian descent, the second-largest such population in the United States.