Trump loses Serbia and Brazil allies before US midterms
Left-wing victories in Belgrade and Brasília leave the president with fewer friendly faces in Europe and the Americas just days before American voters head to the polls.
By Mariam Saleh ·
American voters will select their representatives to Congress on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Republican Party currently holds majorities in both chambers of Congress. Before the US election takes place, however, two other nations have already cast their ballots. Both Serbia and Brazil elected left-wing leaders. These results do not directly impact the US midterm vote, but they leave President Donald Trump with fewer allies abroad.
In Serbia, the Student List defeated outgoing president Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic had served as president since 2017 and recently moved to the role of prime minister. He described himself and Trump as like-minded leaders. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., visited Belgrade in late 2024 and again shortly after. The US Conservative Political Action Conference had planned a November meeting in Belgrade where Vucic was scheduled to be a keynote speaker. It is unclear if that event will proceed. Vucic maintained a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He did not join EU sanctions against Russia after the war in Ukraine began. Belgrade continues to buy Russian raw materials.
In Brazil, Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva won the election. The Trump camp had supported Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering. After losing, he moved to Florida. The US State Department granted him and his family entry visas despite the pending legal action. Jair Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat. He claimed there were irregularities in the vote. Trump echoed these concerns. "It looked like another rigged election, frankly," the US president said on Monday. "Elections have to be indisputable, and it looked very bad to me."
Lawrence J. Haas, a senior fellow for US foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council, noted the diplomatic shift. "Trump was a strong supporter of both Jair Bolsonaro.. and of his son Flavio," Haas said. "Trump wasn't happy about the defeat of either Bolsonaro.. and he doesn't feel warmly toward Lula. So relations will remain cool at best." Haas served as communications director for Al Gore in the 1990s. He said the foreign policy changes will not determine the US midterm outcome. "Americans will be voting [..] on the basis of issues that affect them, and how they feel about the party in power," he explained.
The situation in Israel remains unresolved. With more than 96% of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc leads. However, Netanyahu has lost his parliamentary majority. Coalition negotiations will be difficult. Trump and Netanyahu have been close allies since 2018, when Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In February 2026, the two leaders joined forces to launch a war against Iran. If Netanyahu remains in power, the relationship is likely to continue. If a different government forms, the alliance may change.
Trump faces a difficult domestic environment heading into the midterms. Haas pointed to specific political pressures. "Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president on the eve of a mid-term election since Harry Truman in 1946," Haas stated. He added that Americans are concerned about affordability and strongly oppose the US-Iran war. The loss of Vucic in Europe and the victory of Lula in Brazil remove two key foreign partners who aligned with Trump’s views on Russia and regional politics.
The US State Department granted visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family in Florida while legal actions continue in Brazil. Vucic’s government in Serbia had presented a positive image of Russia compared to the EU. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff recently called Putin a "humanitarian." Trump admitted in an interview that he got on better with Putin than with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The end of the Vucic government removes one of Trump’s few European allies who shares this perspective on Moscow.
The midterm election in the United States will occur on November 3. The Republican Party seeks to maintain its majority in Congress. The election results in Serbia and Brazil were finalized before this date. These outcomes reflect a global shift in leadership that contrasts with the current US political alignment. The foreign policy implications for the Trump administration depend on how these new leaders in Belgrade and Brasília approach bilateral relations. The domestic focus for US voters remains on economic conditions and the ongoing conflict with Iran.
