Why did Democrats win the 2026 US midterms, according to BBC correspondent Nomia Iqbal?

Nomia Iqbal said the biggest reason voters turned on Republicans was the cost of living rather than Donald Trump himself, who still has a lot of support. Tariffs, grocery prices and petrol prices pushed up by the Iran war left people feeling poorer, and many felt Trump was busy with foreign conflicts instead of everyday problems, despite promising America First.

• The Global News Podcast said the scale of the Democratic win was underestimated by pollsters.
• Democrats won in South Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Kansas, states that were not competitive a year earlier.
• Nomia Iqbal said Trump and everything he represents could now look like a toxic brand for Republicans.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-04). Read the whole episode summary →

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