European far-right leaders who previously embraced Donald Trump and his nationalist political movement have begun distancing themselves from the US president following the Republicans’ sweeping defeat in the midterm elections, with several blaming the war against Iran, rising energy prices and mounting economic pressures for the electoral setback.
The shift comes after many of these politicians openly celebrated Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, promoted their ideological alignment with his MAGA movement and benefited from political backing from his allies. However, the consequences of the US-Israeli war against Iran have increasingly complicated their association with the president.
Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally, said Trump’s second term had proved less isolationist than his first presidency, warning that American intervention against Iran carried serious consequences for economies worldwide.
“American intervention regarding Iran carries very heavy consequences,” Bardella said, without directly identifying Trump as responsible for the military intervention.
In Germany, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), explicitly linked the Republicans’ defeat to Trump’s decision to enter the war.
“Trump had promised his voters not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy ... This broken promise has now come back to haunt the Republicans,” she told T-Online.
The economic consequences of the war have also become a central issue among European far-right politicians, particularly as higher energy costs and international instability affect households and businesses.
Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s League party and a member of the ruling coalition, said the American electoral outcome had been shaped primarily by wars, international tensions and the rising cost of living.
“The American result was influenced above all by the wars, international tensions and the increase in the cost of living, the consequences of which fall directly on families,” Salvini said.
He added that the vote should accelerate efforts to end conflicts and restore peace.
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian general who leads the Futuro Nazionale party, was more direct in criticizing Trump’s foreign policy, pointing to his failure to end the Russia-Ukraine war and his decision to launch military aggression against Iran.
“Trump failed to live up to expectations, was unable to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end and launched a war against Iran,” Vannacci told ANSA.
He said the resulting increases in energy prices, economic instability and stock market turmoil had harmed the US middle class and contributed to the Republicans’ electoral defeat.
Political cost of Trump’s foreign policy
The growing distance between European far-right parties and Trump also reflects concerns about the domestic political consequences of maintaining close ties with an increasingly unpopular US president.
Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told Reuters that Trump’s declining popularity, particularly over the cost of living, threatened to turn his political influence from an electoral advantage into a liability for European allies.
He said European far-right leaders wanted to retain the ideological momentum associated with Trumpism without becoming associated with the economic disruption and political turmoil of his presidency.
Meanwhile, Rupert Lowe, leader of Britain’s Restore Britain party, described the decision to attack Iran as a “catastrophic mistake.”
“What has this war achieved? Absolutely nothing of worth,” Lowe wrote in a lengthy post on X, criticizing the military campaign without naming the president responsible for launching it.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and a longtime political ally of Trump, described the Republicans’ electoral performance as a “complete and utter rout.”
He attributed the result partly to the prolonged war against Iran and rising fuel costs, saying younger voters who had supported Trump in 2024 had shifted toward the Democrats.
Farage also pointed to the possibility of growing divisions between Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
In Spain, Vox leader Santiago Abascal offered little defense of his former political alignment with Trump, telling reporters: “I’m in Spain and not in Michigan.”
European concerns extend beyond the election
The implications of the Republican defeat have also prompted debate over its potential consequences for Europe, NATO, Germany and Ukraine.
Former German ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Ischinger challenged the assumption that a Democratic victory automatically benefits the European Union.
In an interview with DW, he discussed the possibility that a politically weakened Trump could become more unpredictable in foreign policy and examined the potential consequences for trans-Atlantic relations, European security and the future of US policy toward Russia and Ukraine.
The discussion also addressed European defense efforts and the possible long-term influence of figures such as JD Vance on US foreign policy.