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IrelandMartins traces Trump's referendum defeat to tariffs and Iran war
The analyst argues that broken promises and higher living costs turned Trump's appeal for a personal endorsement into a rejection of his policies.
BrazilStory of Why this story? One of CNN Brasil's most watched videos since yesterday, with 444,727 views.
CNN Brasil: A Brazilian news channel on air since 2020 under a CNN licence. 7.2M subscribers and 6.1B views.
Eleitores rejeitaram políticas de Donald Trump; veja análise no Olhar Externo | HORA H
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:36Martins argues that voters rejected Trump's policies after he framed the midterms as a referendum on his presidency.
- 0:55He links unfulfilled economic promises and trade conflicts involving Brazil, China and India to higher inflation.
- 1:43Martins says the Iran war added pressure through fuel prices and broader living costs.
- 2:13He cites low presidential approval and concerns about the weakening of American democracy.
- 2:47With Congress controlled by the opposition, Martins expects Trump to rely more on executive orders.
Donald Trump made the midterms a referendum on his presidency, and voters answered against him, international analyst Américo Martins argues in a segment for Brazil's CNN Brasil.
Speaking from London to Hora H host Taís Lopes, Martins describes the results as a major defeat for both the Republican Party and Trump personally. The broadcast reports that Democrats have secured control of Congress, leaving the president facing an opposition majority for the second half of his term.
Martins's explanation starts with the gap between campaign promises and household experience. He argues that Trump's trade conflicts with countries including Brazil, China and India pushed inflation higher rather than delivering the economic relief voters expected.
He then connects the war with Iran to rising fuel prices and broader living costs. In his assessment, an unplanned conflict compounded the pressure already created by trade policy. These are presented as overlapping reasons for the electoral setback, rather than separate foreign-policy and economic stories.
Martins also cites a presidential approval rating of about a third and public concern about the weakening of American democracy. The segment does not identify the poll behind that rating.
His conclusion is that Trump has become a "lame duck": still president, but with less room to advance legislation through Congress. Martins expects him to rely more heavily on executive orders. Lopes closes by emphasizing the distinction between a narrower legislative path and a president who still retains significant power.
Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- CNN Brasil
- Subscribers
- 7,250,000 ▲ 30,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 102,555,417
- Channel views, pace per day
- 16,469,613 (on a normal day: 15,366,814)
- Video published
- November 4, 2026
- Video views so far
- 444,727 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 1,120,712
The numbers
The analysis drew roughly 445,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Brazil's most-watched new news videos.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which country does Martins name alongside China and India when discussing Trump's trade conflicts?
Martins includes Brazil among the countries involved in the trade conflicts he links to higher inflation.