LONDON, November 05, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Far-right leaders across Europe are increasingly distancing themselves from U.S. President Donald Trump following the Republicans’ heavy losses in the midterm elections, seeking to limit the political fallout from their close association with him while largely avoiding direct criticism of the president.
The shift marks a notable change for politicians who had openly celebrated their ideological ties with Trump after his 2024 election victory. Several visited Washington afterward, while some also received political backing from billionaire Elon Musk, one of the president’s closest allies.
In France, Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally (RN), which polls suggest could form the next government, pointed to the economic consequences of U.S. foreign policy. He argued that Trump’s second term had proved less isolationist than his first, adding that American intervention in Iran carried “very heavy consequences” for economies worldwide without directly naming the president.
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel also linked the Republican defeat to the conflict with Iran. Trump had promised voters he would avoid an interventionist foreign policy, she told T-Online, arguing that the broken pledge had come back to haunt his party.
Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran contributed to the Republicans’ losses but maintained that he stood by his decision.
Economic pressures were also central to reactions in Italy. Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, a member of the governing coalition, said the U.S. result had been shaped mainly by wars, international tensions and rising living costs, whose consequences were being felt directly by families. He expressed hope that the vote would accelerate an end to conflicts and a return to peace.
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian general who leads the far-right Futuro Nazionale party, was more direct. Despite previously praising Trump’s “America First” nationalist agenda, Vannacci said the president had failed to meet expectations, had not ended the war between Russia and Ukraine and had launched a conflict with Iran. The resulting increase in energy prices and financial market turmoil had hurt the American middle class, contributing to the Republican defeat, he told ANSA.
The political calculation behind the shift is becoming increasingly clear. Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said that Trump’s declining popularity, particularly over the cost of living, risked turning what had once been an electoral advantage into a liability for European far-right parties.
These politicians, Rahman said, appeared keen to retain the ideological momentum of Trumpism without being associated with the “chaos and economic disruption” of his presidency. But distancing themselves carries its own risks: Trump and his allies in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement could withdraw their support or even turn against their European partners.
Not all European far-right figures interpreted the Republican losses as a major setback for Trump. Dan Dungaciu, deputy leader of Romania’s opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians, dismissed reports of the president’s political demise as greatly exaggerated. He argued that Trump would remain powerful, although he would face stronger checks from Congress.
In Spain, Vox leader Santiago Abascal made little effort to conceal his distance from the U.S. political contest, telling reporters that he was “in Spain and not in Michigan” and cared little about developments elsewhere. He had previously promoted his alliance with Trump and the MAGA movement.
In Britain, Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe called the decision to attack Iran a “catastrophic mistake”, questioning what the war had achieved, but did not name Trump in a lengthy post on X.
Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, described the Republican result as a “complete and utter rout”, reversing his earlier assessment that predictions of a Democratic landslide had been exaggerated. Speaking to GB News, he said the outcome could also expose divisions between Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Farage attributed the losses partly to younger men who had supported Trump in 2024 but switched to the Democrats, saying the prolonged war in Iran and rising fuel costs had helped drive the backlash.