Trump escalates authoritarian rhetoric ahead of midterm elections

At midterm campaign events, Donald Trump continues to claim the United States is in a new "golden age" under his guidance, yet his rhetoric has grown increasingly extreme. He has suggested that individuals who leak classified information should be shot, extending the threat to members of the media. Simultaneously, Trump is pursuing an economic alignment with Russia, seeking to exempt Moscow from sanctions and proposing broader transactions, a move that has angered European allies and many Republicans.

Recent weeks saw the rapid turnover of his hand-picked White House press secretary and a public rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As polls show the Democrats likely to win control of Congress, Trump signals a willingness to battle legislative opponents and use alternative channels to impose his will, potentially straining NATO and the transatlantic partnership.