IF US President Donald Trump were to say that the result of the US midterm elections does not reflect the voters’ huge dissatisfaction with his brand of leadership, I would say he’s lying.
Why?
Because the total cost of his war adventures in Iran has clearly affected every consumer in the US, including practically every consumer in the world. The spiralling cost of goods and services in the US and all over the world was triggered primarily by the war in Iran which resulted in the “closure” of the Strait of Hormuz, both literally and figuratively. The cost of transporting crude oil has become so high, including insurance costs, that there is practically very little transporting activity going on in that vital stretch between Iran and Oman.
Many voters feel that waging war and how the war in Iran was conducted, was wrong. And many also feel that Trump was given wrong advice by his top officials, specifically Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is now being roasted alive by the winning Democrats.
There is now renewed vigor in calling for his resignation.
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The Democrats now control both the House and the Senate, red is now overwhelmed by blue, hence the so-called “blue wave.”
In the Philippines, this is like the Nacionalista and the Liberal, red and blue respectively, though the present-day Liberals are hardly of the same stock and core values as the Liberals of the yesteryears.
For the rest of his remaining 2-year term, Trump will be facing a Democrat-controlled House and the Senate.
That would not be easy.
Congress can now start investigating in a congressional hearing in both chambers all “deals” entered into by Trump, the members of his family, his close friends and top officials. They can now summon records, documents and witnesses and these witnesses can now be forced to testify under oath before live cameras, for all the world to see.
Those appointed by Trump will now be facing a very “strict” Commission on Appointments.
That is called the oversight authority of Congress over the acts of the executive branch.
Aside from that, the war adventures of Trump all over the world will now be facing a very serious challenge too.
Why?
Because the Democrats, who now hold the “power of the purse” in Congress can literally stop or prevent the flow of money to any government expenditure, past, present or future.
They can stop funding the war in Iran, and practically anywhere, where Trump reigned supreme before.
They can literally put a stop to Trump’s wild spending spree, including financial or technical aids to many countries, including the Philippines. Latest report says Trump has announced a cut in Israel’s $4B annual aid in arms sale. Pasabot, di na siya karon makapatuyang og waldas o gasto sa kwarta sa US.
And Trump cannot do anything about that, as part of the constitution’s doctrine of check and balance of the 3 branches of government.
Of course, they can question his policies and maybe amend or repeal any of Trump’s executive order, but this is subject to Trump’s veto power.
And if Trump exercises his veto power, Congress needs ⅔ votes to overrule that, and they don’t have the numbers in both chambers right now.
Unless the Democrats can uncover some “balimbings” in the ranks of the Republicans, just like in the Philippines, where party loyalty is just like using a tissue paper, use it or throw it when convenient, then they cannot do anything about that.
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If Trump failed to muster a Republican-Congress, despite his overwhelming powers and billionaire donor-friends in the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Besos and other Silicon Valley techie-billionaries, that is because of the more overwhelming dislike of the majority of US voters, including the Hispanics, native Indians and Asians, like the Filipinos in the US.
But how come that the Democrats failed to get at least ⅔ of both chambers if that is the case?
I see one good reason for that.
Many US voters are still partidistas or loyalists to the core. They voted, not for Trump, but for the Republican Party.
Just like in the Philippines before – kon Nacionalista ka, Nacionalista gyod ka, apil imong pamilya such that even in social circles or in boy-girl relationships, the Nacionalista or Liberal Party thing still counted.
As in, kinsa nang imong uyab Day, kinsa iyang mga ginikanan, unya after knowing them, the next thing to say is, ah, ayaw ana kay pikas partido na sila.
Just like some Fil-Ams that I know of in California, they told me that they are republicans but they are not rooting for Trump.
* * *
Bisan giunsa og kampanya ni Trump ang iyang mga kaalyado, wa magsilbi kay napildi gyod ug wa motalab o way epek ang iyang kampanya.
I see a parallelism here.
Parehas ra nis gihimo ni BBM in the 2025 elections where he actively campaigned for his senatorial slate.
Kon di hakoton ang crowd, di gyod intawon maka-puno sa lugar nga gi-rallyhan. So what they did, mandatory sa tanang barangay and municipal officials ang pag-attend. Mandatory sab sa tanang beneficiary sa mga ayuda, kon di moanha, papas dayon sa lista. So mapugos gyod og anha, gawas pa nga gigastohan gyod ang transport og kaon, apil na ang mga libreng T-shirts.
So, napuno gyod ang lugar, plus namolak pa ang mga BBM shirts. Nindot kaayo tan-awon for the cameras and the videos.
Susko, pag-abot ni BBM sa lugar dayon wara-wara, way epek oi, wa gani gitagad sa mga tawo. Wa gyod gihinangop o gihugopan para magpa-picture ang mga tawo. Wa lang, lakaw or wara lang siya, kebs lang bisan kabalo siya nga wa ra siya tagda sa mga tawo.
Pagpaila-ila pas Governor ni BBM dayon balik-balik og singgit og “BBM, BBM, BBM,” pastilan, wa gyod emek ang mga tawo.
Pina-ingon pa ang Governor, “Matay, mingaw man.”
Miundang na lang ang Governor kay klaro man kaayo nga wa gyod mahimuot o mahinangop ang mga tawo ni BBM.
And that was basically the same scenario everywhere he went, wa gyod intawon epekto ang iyang yawyaw. In fact, some senatorial consultants/advisers were saying then nga maghimo na lang sila og kina-ugalingon nga kampanya kay madamay sila ni BBM.
And true enough, the result of the 2025 elections showed where BBM stood among the electorates.
Deretso inidoro gyod intawon ang iyang mga kandidato, gawas sa uban nga nakahimo gyod og kinaugalingon nga paningkamot, and who won like Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.
And this is my fearless forecast in 2028.
I believe that BBM’s endorsement in 2028, as what happened in 2025, will be like a “kiss of death” for his senatorial slate, including probably, those in the LGU levels.
Kinsa pa kaha nga mga kandidato ang magpa-linya ni BBM sa 2028?
