Times are tough for Republican strategists. With the November 3 midterm elections looming, they are desperately seeking a closing argument that explains why Americans should give US President Donald Trump and his party another two years in charge of Congress.In 2024, Mr Trump campaigned on lowering energy prices and inflation, ending “forever” wars, putting America first and clamping down on immigration.Two years on, his checklist of promises looks more like a litany of liabilities. Republicans are now trying to convince Americans that soaring fuel costs will be worth it in the long run, and that the US is enjoying a “Golden Age”, as inflation rises. Even one of Mr Trump's signature achievements – slashing illegal immigration – has become a liability, as voters react with horror to mass round-ups of suspected migrants and the killings of US citizens by masked federal officers.And then, of course, there is Iran.Mr Trump has yet to find an exit from the war he started, and he has turned to none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin for help. A diesel purchase deal with Moscow, which critics say will do little to bring down fuel prices, will also put money into the Kremlin's coffers to help finance its war machine in Ukraine. And a bipartisan group of US senators has warned that the revenues could also aid Russia's security co-operation with Iran – you know, the same country...
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