Angry Voters Usher in Beginning of the End to the Trump Era

The electoral backlash extended even into deep red states and indicated that President Trump has lost his hold over the coalition that lifted him to the White House twice

By Peter Baker, New York Times

(gift link) nytimes.com - Midterm election trump voters

"Many voters told pollsters and interviewers that they felt hoodwinked by Mr. Trump, believing that he was going to bring down prices and not start new wars. They expected him to close the border, but bristled at what they saw as heavy-handed arrests of people living in the country for years. They rebelled against the tariffs that increased costs for consumers.

The way Mr. Trump spent his last day before the election proved to be a metaphor for how out of sync his political instincts were with the season. Instead of emphasizing plans to address the cost of living worries weighing on many voters, he delivered his final pre-election address at the Reflecting Pool, talking about algae and pipes. It was a vivid reminder of his obsession with pet construction projects in Washington, despite the warning signs of how it rankled voters — as if Richard M. Nixon had made his final pre-election speech in front of the Watergate complex."