Opinion | The Beginning of Trump’s Long Goodbye

A facts-only brief, written by a local AI model from this article in The Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2026. It may contain mistakes, and it is not the article: the full story is at wsj.com.

An opinion essay argues that President Donald Trump is a diminished figure ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, regardless of the outcome, due to what the author describes as his assault on free-market capitalism and liberal democracy. The writer contends that Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs and government intervention in private companies, have introduced market uncertainty and failed to lower prices, with two-thirds of voters believing the country is on the wrong track. The essay further criticizes the administration for mixing family business with the presidency, citing the promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures and Jared Kushner’s negotiations with Gulf governments that have invested in his private-equity firm. The author also highlights the administration’s foreign policy decisions, such as urging Ukraine to end the conflict on Russia’s terms and easing sanctions, as examples of poor judgment.

Background

• A Fox News poll from last month indicated that 88% of respondents listed corruption in government as a top concern, surpassing issues like inflation and healthcare.
• Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan, rejected her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, and endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate seat.
• Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, criticized Stevens for breaking with El-Sayed on the eve of the election.
• The essay notes that Trump secured more than 77 million votes in the 2024 election, meaning any successor would need support from a significant portion of his base.

Read the full article at wsj.com

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