Trump Blamed for GOP Midterm Troubles, $4 Billion in Israel Aid on the Line, and Michigan Democrat Sparks Party Backlash

Amy Brown (0:05)

President Trump could be facing a major political reckoning, and one analysis says he has no one to blame but himself.

Plus, Trump announces a major change in the USA to Israel, but there's a catch. And a Michigan Democrat turns against her own party, and she's not backing down. It's Wednesday, November 4th.

From the Black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Amy Brown. This is FrontPage, and here are the day's biggest stories. Stay with me.

We start with the question that was on everyone's mind on election day, the question facing Republicans. If the party suffers major losses, how much of the blame falls on President Trump? One political analysis argued Trump has become his own party's biggest problem. And here's why.

Trump won the White House in 2024 with support from a broad coalition of voters, including Black voters, Hispanic voters, and young people. But the analysis argues that instead of building that support, Trump has spent the past two years pushing policies that have turned some of those voters away.

Start with the economy. Trump promised to bring prices down. Instead, Americans are paying more at the gas pump. Terrors have raised costs for businesses and consumers. And the war with Iran has driven fuel costs even higher. And then there's immigration. Trump made border security a centerpiece of his campaign. But his administration's aggressive immigration enforcement, including ICE operations in workplace and in communities, has sparked backlash. And the analysis argues Trump hasn't just hurt Republicans with his policies, he's also made some questionable political decisions. He's pushed Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to help his party win more seats. Democrats responded by doing the same in states they can control.

He's gotten involved in Republican primaries, pushed out some of the incumbents, and backed candidates who may have a harder time winning general elections. And here's another problem for Republicans. The analysis argues that beyond supporting Trump, the party hasn't presented voters with a clear plan for what it wants to accomplish over the next two years. Instead, Trump has spent his time focused on projects in Washington, including renovations and changes to federal landmarks, while voters remain concerned about the cost of living. And just weeks before election day, Trump floated the idea of giving American adults $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress. That proposal even caught Republican leaders by surprise. But the argument is that if Republicans face major losses, Trump can't simply blame candidates, Democrats or Senate Republican leadership. The president's own ideas helped put his party in this position. And as the votes continue to be counted, we'll see whether voters deliver that kind of political message Republicans have been worried about.

And the president says the US will stop sending billions of dollars in aid to Israel. That's a major announcement considering Israel has been one of the largest recipients of American foreign aid for decades. Trump says he reached a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu months ago to end that funding this year. Speaking on Fox and Friends, Trump said Israel has become a successful country and no longer needs American taxpayers footing the bill.

The US currently provides Israel with about $3.8 billion a year in military assistance. But here's where things get interesting. It's not clear whether that money is actually going away.

Some Trump supporters say the funding could instead be redirected into joint military and technology projects between the two countries. Critics argue that would mean American taxpayers are still paying just through a different program.

And Congress would have a say because lawmakers authorize US foreign aid. The timing is also raising questions. Trump made the announcement on election day when voters are concerned about affordability and how Washington spends their tax dollars. And the issue has become especially controversial in Michigan, where US support for Israel has divided voters in a closely watched Senate race. Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has criticized Israel, and Trump brought him up during the interview. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has previously said he wanted Israel to stop relying on American military aid, but proposed doing that gradually over the next 10 years. Now Trump said it could happen this year. But neither the White House nor the Israeli Embassy provided details confirming how the agreement would work. So for now, the big question is whether American taxpayers will actually save billions of dollars, or whether that money will simply be spent another way.

And in Michigan, a Democratic congresswoman is standing by her decision to support a Republican running for US Senate even after facing major backlash from her own party. Congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. And when NewsNation asked whether that endorsement was worth all the criticism, Stevens didn't hesitate. She said, absolutely. Now, here's how we got here. Stevens and El-Sayed were opponents in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed won, and Stevens initially supported him. But their relationship fell apart over an advertisement from an outside progressive group that blamed Israel for rising gas prices. Stevens demanded El-Sayed apologize for the ad. Instead, El-Sayed removed her from his campaign events, including a planned appearance at a Detroit church with Congressman Jim Clyburn. The very next day, Stevens showed up at a church alongside Republican Mike Rogers, and that set off a political firestorm. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Stevens of making a terrible decision and blindsiding her colleague. The chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party went even further saying Stevens was no longer a member of the party. Some of her own staff members even resigned. But Stevens says she still wants Democrats to take control of the House and Jeffries to become speaker. So she's supporting a Republican for Senate while hoping Democrats win the House. And here's what's interesting. Despite the controversy, a New York Times CNN poll released just days before Election Day showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by 11 points. So it's unclear whether Stevens' endorsement will make much of a difference in the race. But this controversy raises a bigger question about divisions within a Democratic Party, especially over Israel, and what happens when those disagreements build over into a general election.