Trump Candidates' Sudden Retreat: Are the Consequences of the Iran War Hitting America?

Contradictions and Reversals in the Positions of Prominent Representatives in Iowa and Maine Have Roiled the Midterm Race in Democrats' Favor.

As the economic costs of the war against Iran increase, the Republican candidates in the upcoming US midterm elections are under increasing pressure to clarify their position on practical measures to end it in addition to expressing concern about the consequences of the war. In Iowa, the 69% increase in the price of gasoline has become one of the important issues of the election campaign. This state, which is considered one of the traditional bases of the Republicans, has an economy heavily dependent on agriculture, and the increase in the price of diesel and chemical fertilizers has also increased the costs of farmers.

According to the data of the American Automobile Association, Iowa was at the highest level among the US states in terms of the increase in the price of gasoline at the end of August. In this situation, Ashley Hinson, the Republican representative of Iowa and the party's candidate for the Senate seat in this state, who previously supported the war, has changed his position. He announced that the people of Iowa should not pay for the war with Iran through the increase in the price of fuel and consumer goods. However, he has refused to support resolutions that have been presented to limit Trump's powers in the continuation of the war. Hinson's Democratic rival, Josh Turk, criticized him for the same contradiction in Tuesday night's election debate. Hinson responded by saying that there is no need to pass another resolution in the House of Representatives to end the war, and that the president and the US military can end this conflict. Turk also considered the increase in the price of fuel and chemical fertilizers to be the consequences of the war and the continued support of Hinson.

The dispute comes as two other Iowa Republicans, Marianne Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, have recently supported resolutions related to war powers. These resolutions are aimed at limiting the president's authority to start a war without the authorization of Congress. In the state of Maine, Susan Collins, the Republican senator and current candidate of this party, is facing criticism from her election rival. Collins has voted in favor of these restrictions in 9 of the 14 Senate votes to limit Trump's powers to continue the war; But he defended his five votes against and said that these votes were conducted in the first 60 days of the conflict; An era in which he believes the president has broad powers to direct the war. Troy Jackson, Collins' Democratic rival and former Maine state Senate president, believes he can use his position as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee to pressure the administration.

Jackson has emphasized that Collins, if he wants to stop the war, has the ability to influence its funding. At the same time, some Democratic senators have announced that if they win the Senate majority in the November elections, they will try to stop the future funding of the Ministry of Defense until the end of the war. The economic consequences of the war and public dissatisfaction with it have become important factors in changing the atmosphere of the mid-term elections in favor of the Democrats.

Jim Antell, the executive editor of the Washington Examiner, also predicted in a note that the Republicans will face a heavy defeat in the November elections.

Politico also reported that Republicans in private circles consider it almost impossible to maintain their majority in the House of Representatives. Also, Nate Silver, an election analyst, estimated the probability of the Democrats winning the Senate majority at 73% in his latest forecast.