In an effort to win the midterm elections, Trump shifted his approach to the US-Iran standoff.
2026-05-28 18:08:43
As the US midterm elections progress, the series of Republican primaries in May have evolved into a "revenge war" for former President Donald Trump to consolidate his absolute control within the party.
Through a highly targeted "endorsement purge," Trump-backed challengers launched fierce attacks on incumbent lawmakers across the country and achieved overwhelming victories.
In 10 head-to-head matchups, Trump won 8 (with one loss and one pending).
This unprecedented purge within the party not only definitively set the tone for the Republican Party's complete shift towards "Trumpification," but also established a tough MAGA style for the upcoming midterm elections.
In traditional American politics, incumbent members of Congress are extremely difficult to defeat in party primaries due to their high name recognition and strong fundraising channels.
However, Trump, through the precise airdrops from his political team and the support of millions of dollars in external funding, forcefully broke this pattern.
The primary target has fallen: Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, who has long defied Trump's will on key issues such as fiscal spending and military action against Iraq, has become the primary target of this purge.
In this bloody contest that set a record for the highest advertising spending in the history of the U.S. House primary (over $33 million), Massey ultimately suffered a crushing defeat with 45% to 55% of the vote, losing to Ed Gallrein, a Navy veteran strongly supported by Trump.
Impeachment supporters out: Another battle with a signature revenge theme is taking place in Louisiana.
Current Senator Bill Cassidy was one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the 2021 Capitol Hill riots.
In this primary election, he was abandoned by his supporters in anger and was eliminated in the first round with only 25% of the vote, far behind Julia Lightfoot (45%) and John Fleming (28%), who were endorsed by Trump.
Cassidy's post-election criticism of Trump's "election fraud" remarks indirectly confirms that this primary election was not only a battle for seats, but also a "purity check" of ideology.
Trump's iron fist is not limited to Capitol Hill, but extends deeply into local state legislatures and the core of power in key states.
Local reshaping: In Indiana, several Republican state senators faced concentrated retaliation from Trump for obstructing redistricting plans that would benefit the midterm elections.
Trump endorsed seven challengers, five of whom ultimately won, leaving only one to retain his seat (another primary went to a recount due to a mere three votes difference). The losing lawmaker stated that the primary sent a "blatant signal of coercion and reckoning."
Texas's decisive victory in the final round: The Texas Senate primary brought Trump's "endorsement magic" to a climax. Trump intervened at the last minute, strongly supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is embroiled in corruption and bribery impeachment scandals, to challenge establishment veteran John Cornyn.
Despite concerns from several congressional Republicans that Paxton's poor image could drag things down, Paxton ultimately won by a landslide with 64% to 36% thanks to Trump's strong mobilization. Texas politicians admitted that Trump's control over the Republican base was "unprecedented."
The protracted primary elections in May demonstrated that the Republican Party has now completely degenerated into a "one-man show" dominated by Trump. Although the primary states were mostly deep red, and the Republicans are likely to win the midterm elections regardless of who wins, the election strategy of the MAGA hardliners was evident.
His endorsement became a "life-or-death card" determining the political fate of politicians within the party. However, this "hardline approach" that swept through the party primaries has raised huge concerns about the overall national situation in the midterm elections.
Political analysts point out that Trump built a highly loyal "MAGA guard" through the primaries, but this could easily trigger a "candidate quality crisis."
In deep-red conservative strongholds (such as Kentucky and rural Louisiana), these radical candidates may be well-positioned to win; but in the swing districts and middle ground that determine control of Congress, extreme political slogans (such as belief in election fraud, radical abortion and fiscal policies) and the candidates' own blemishes (such as Paxton, Texas) will become excellent targets for Democratic attacks.
The primary results have given the Democratic Party a strategic breakthrough. The party is planning to define the midterm elections as a showdown between "moderates and Trump's extreme followers," and to win over moderate Republican voters and independent voters who are disappointed with the party's internal purges.
After the May turmoil, although the purged "lame duck" incumbent lawmakers may still use the legislative process to put up a last-ditch resistance against Trump's agenda in the remaining months of their terms, the tide has turned—the Republican midterm election tactics have established a strategic mindset of maintaining a hardline MAGA style across the board.
For Trump and the radicals, the winning logic in the midterm elections lies not in compromising with the centrists, but in thoroughly igniting the nationalist fervor and strongman worship of their party base.
This "better to be tough than soft" election strategy has been fully demonstrated in the recent protracted international geopolitical games.
Just a few days ago, when the media reported that the US and Iran might reach a preliminary peace framework and international oil prices plummeted by 5%, Trump immediately poured cold water on the idea, declaring that the White House was "extremely dissatisfied" with the current terms and would rather let the negotiations remain in a stalemate.
Because he knew very well that winning the midterm elections depended on a “fighting stance” and “uncompromising dignity.”
While a quick compromise could lower oil prices economically, it would politically drain the "strongman narrative" fuel upon which the MAGA movement depends most.
The entire Republican Party will approach the November election with a more polarized and highly unified stance. Maintaining pressure, projecting toughness, and packaging high oil prices as "patriotic patience" is precisely the midterm election victory script Trump has tailored for the fervent MAGA faction.
This could very well lead to a continued tug-of-war between the US and Iran in the short term, with gold prices weakening and oil prices remaining firm, awaiting an eventual compromise from Iran.
Through a highly targeted "endorsement purge," Trump-backed challengers launched fierce attacks on incumbent lawmakers across the country and achieved overwhelming victories.
In 10 head-to-head matchups, Trump won 8 (with one loss and one pending).
This unprecedented purge within the party not only definitively set the tone for the Republican Party's complete shift towards "Trumpification," but also established a tough MAGA style for the upcoming midterm elections.
Core Blow: Targeted Pursuit of Dissent in Congress
In traditional American politics, incumbent members of Congress are extremely difficult to defeat in party primaries due to their high name recognition and strong fundraising channels.
However, Trump, through the precise airdrops from his political team and the support of millions of dollars in external funding, forcefully broke this pattern.
The primary target has fallen: Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, who has long defied Trump's will on key issues such as fiscal spending and military action against Iraq, has become the primary target of this purge.
In this bloody contest that set a record for the highest advertising spending in the history of the U.S. House primary (over $33 million), Massey ultimately suffered a crushing defeat with 45% to 55% of the vote, losing to Ed Gallrein, a Navy veteran strongly supported by Trump.
Impeachment supporters out: Another battle with a signature revenge theme is taking place in Louisiana.
Current Senator Bill Cassidy was one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the 2021 Capitol Hill riots.
In this primary election, he was abandoned by his supporters in anger and was eliminated in the first round with only 25% of the vote, far behind Julia Lightfoot (45%) and John Fleming (28%), who were endorsed by Trump.
Cassidy's post-election criticism of Trump's "election fraud" remarks indirectly confirms that this primary election was not only a battle for seats, but also a "purity check" of ideology.
From Local to Federal: A Comprehensive Reshaping of the Party's Power Landscape
Trump's iron fist is not limited to Capitol Hill, but extends deeply into local state legislatures and the core of power in key states.
Local reshaping: In Indiana, several Republican state senators faced concentrated retaliation from Trump for obstructing redistricting plans that would benefit the midterm elections.
Trump endorsed seven challengers, five of whom ultimately won, leaving only one to retain his seat (another primary went to a recount due to a mere three votes difference). The losing lawmaker stated that the primary sent a "blatant signal of coercion and reckoning."
Texas's decisive victory in the final round: The Texas Senate primary brought Trump's "endorsement magic" to a climax. Trump intervened at the last minute, strongly supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is embroiled in corruption and bribery impeachment scandals, to challenge establishment veteran John Cornyn.
Despite concerns from several congressional Republicans that Paxton's poor image could drag things down, Paxton ultimately won by a landslide with 64% to 36% thanks to Trump's strong mobilization. Texas politicians admitted that Trump's control over the Republican base was "unprecedented."
Double-edged sword effect: Primary election sentiment triggers a "quality crisis" in the general election.
The protracted primary elections in May demonstrated that the Republican Party has now completely degenerated into a "one-man show" dominated by Trump. Although the primary states were mostly deep red, and the Republicans are likely to win the midterm elections regardless of who wins, the election strategy of the MAGA hardliners was evident.
His endorsement became a "life-or-death card" determining the political fate of politicians within the party. However, this "hardline approach" that swept through the party primaries has raised huge concerns about the overall national situation in the midterm elections.
Political analysts point out that Trump built a highly loyal "MAGA guard" through the primaries, but this could easily trigger a "candidate quality crisis."
In deep-red conservative strongholds (such as Kentucky and rural Louisiana), these radical candidates may be well-positioned to win; but in the swing districts and middle ground that determine control of Congress, extreme political slogans (such as belief in election fraud, radical abortion and fiscal policies) and the candidates' own blemishes (such as Paxton, Texas) will become excellent targets for Democratic attacks.
The primary results have given the Democratic Party a strategic breakthrough. The party is planning to define the midterm elections as a showdown between "moderates and Trump's extreme followers," and to win over moderate Republican voters and independent voters who are disappointed with the party's internal purges.
Conclusion: A Tough Stance and a Push for High Oil Prices: The "Trump Script"
After the May turmoil, although the purged "lame duck" incumbent lawmakers may still use the legislative process to put up a last-ditch resistance against Trump's agenda in the remaining months of their terms, the tide has turned—the Republican midterm election tactics have established a strategic mindset of maintaining a hardline MAGA style across the board.
For Trump and the radicals, the winning logic in the midterm elections lies not in compromising with the centrists, but in thoroughly igniting the nationalist fervor and strongman worship of their party base.
This "better to be tough than soft" election strategy has been fully demonstrated in the recent protracted international geopolitical games.
Just a few days ago, when the media reported that the US and Iran might reach a preliminary peace framework and international oil prices plummeted by 5%, Trump immediately poured cold water on the idea, declaring that the White House was "extremely dissatisfied" with the current terms and would rather let the negotiations remain in a stalemate.
Because he knew very well that winning the midterm elections depended on a “fighting stance” and “uncompromising dignity.”
While a quick compromise could lower oil prices economically, it would politically drain the "strongman narrative" fuel upon which the MAGA movement depends most.
The entire Republican Party will approach the November election with a more polarized and highly unified stance. Maintaining pressure, projecting toughness, and packaging high oil prices as "patriotic patience" is precisely the midterm election victory script Trump has tailored for the fervent MAGA faction.
This could very well lead to a continued tug-of-war between the US and Iran in the short term, with gold prices weakening and oil prices remaining firm, awaiting an eventual compromise from Iran.
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