Expert: US to See Major Shift After Elections as Trust in Congress, Media Declines

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States may face a major shift in political life after the upcoming midterm elections because the level of trust in Congress and media continues to decline, Washington-based Eurasia Center Executive Vice President Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik.

On Tuesday, the US will hold midterm elections to determine control of both chambers of Congress. Republicans are slated to win a majority of seats in the House, while control of the Senate remains a toss-up.

"I think we will see a major shift. Only something like 17% of the country believe that we are on the right path. Moreover, the trust in Congress and the media has continued to decline, Rasmussen said.

The Democrats will likely face a major loss in the Congress after the elections, while their opponents from the Republican Party will pick up both chambers of the Congress and further strengthen their positions in the states, he added.

Due to the Democrats’ policies, the United States is deepening into a serious inflation and facing other complications related to the conflict in Ukraine, Rasmussen said. The nation is participating in the conflict, which has no direct impact on its national security, he added.

"The Republicans, while still a minority, are the only ones calling for some type of control on the open checkbook to Ukraine and calling for some degree of accountability of the massive amount of weapons being sent to stoke rather than calm the distant Eastern European conflict, which basis lies strongly with the US led Foreign policy," he said,

The expert expressed the hope that after the election the US leadership will demonstrate "at least the appearance of seeking a diplomatic solution versus conflict escalation" in Ukraine.

However, Rasmussen noted, there is little chance of improvement of bilateral relations between the US and Russia.

"Foreign policy, while influenced by Congress, is essentially the role of the Administration. Based on the current leadership team, I see no change in the suicidal path policy currently being pursued, hence little chance for any real dialogue of improvement in US-Russian relations," he said.

In the best case, some signs of improvement in bilateral relations between the two countries may appear only after the 2024 Presidential election in the US, Rasmussen noted.

"But the current situation, while inflamed by the Biden administration has been smoldering for quite awhile and will require a major shift in the US policy to one of true cooperative leadership and respect for the sovereignty of nations," he said.