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On News Track, anchor Maria Shakeel examines the political fallout of the US midterm elections, where the Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress follows widespread voter discontent over the war in Iran.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:03The Iran war has become a political nightmare for Donald Trump.
00:07His own vice president has blamed the war for the Republican midterm debacle.
00:12Donald Trump has admitted that the conflict hurt his approval ratings,
00:15but he insists he has no regrets.
00:18For Tehran, the democratic takeover of both the houses of Congress
00:23could mean tougher scrutiny of the war and greater pressure to end it.
00:27Democrats have already signaled that ending the Iran conflict is among their top priorities.
00:37But Iran's supreme leader, Mostaba Khamenei, has warned against expecting a softer U.S. policy
00:43and threatened a wider regional response to any fresh American attack.
00:47So what does the midterm verdict mean for Iran?
00:51Will Trump read it as a call to change course or double down on the war?
00:57We'll discuss this with the guests who will be joining me shortly.
00:59But first up, take a look at this report.
01:06It's official.
01:08The war with Iran is not just a foreign policy crisis for Donald Trump.
01:14It is his biggest political liability at home.
01:18After the midterm debacle, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has blamed the war for Republican losses,
01:24saying that many voters who backed them in 2024 have now switched sides.
01:31Trump has himself admitted that the war dragged down his approval ratings,
01:35but remains defiant, saying he has no regrets.
01:40Mr. President, Vice President Vance says the reason Republicans lost last night was the war in Iran.
01:48Well, I think it's largely true, because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short-term,
01:54and probably that's true.
01:57But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again,
02:00because long-term, it's the only answer.
02:02You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon.
02:05For Tehran, the political shift in Washington matters.
02:10Democrats now control both houses of Congress,
02:13giving them greater power to investigate the war,
02:16scrutinize military spending, and challenge the administration's strategy.
02:20And they've already made it clear that their early priorities include ending the war in Iran.
02:29We are going to end the war.
02:31We have some Republicans already who have joined us in ending the war.
02:35And the founding fathers had the power of the purse
02:39as one of the ways of deterring a president who does war
02:43without the consent of the American people.
02:45The streets of Tehran were quick to respond to the change,
02:49burning Trump's banners and even carrying out a mock execution of him.
02:56But Iran's Supreme Leader, Mustafa Khamenei, has said
02:59that those expecting a change in Washington's policy are seriously mistaken,
03:04warning that any renewed U.S. military attack on Iran
03:08would trigger a much wider regional response.
03:12The midterms have dealt Trump a political blow.
03:15The question is, will he now respond with a shift in strategy or go full throttle?
03:22Vera Report, India Today.
03:27And Dr. Vail Awad is a senior journalist and West Asia expert.
03:31He is joining me shortly.
03:33Alan Lichman is a political analyst
03:35and also a distinguished professor of history at the American University.
03:41Before I bring in the two gentlemen,
03:43let me just put this story in context for you, the viewers.
03:47Last night on this show, we broke the story that J.D. Wans had said
03:51that it is the Iran war which has cost them this bad result,
03:57the debacle in these elections.
04:00So how is Iran viewing it?
04:03Let me bring in Dr. Vail Awad.
04:05Dr. Awad, how is Tehran viewing the developments?
04:07It's an acceptance that America entered an unpopular war
04:12and this is a war which, like Iran, many in America also feel
04:18was imposed on Iran and Iranians.
04:21Well, absolutely.
04:22I believe the Iranians are very much understanding
04:26the current situation of the United States
04:28and they said that there should be an end to this war.
04:31In fact, even there are some jokes in the street of Tehran
04:34that a regime change in Iran landed in the regime change in the United States.
04:39So there could be some sort of a jubilation in the street.
04:42However, everybody in the street of Tehran
04:44is apprehensive about the outcome of this.
04:47Will Trump go for another round of war with Netanyahu
04:51or will he come back for the dialogue?
04:53And I believe the dialogue is already taking place in Doha
04:56and there could be a possibility of break it through
04:58for a political triumph exit for Trump.
05:02At least he will not be defeated twice, internally and externally.
05:05But Dr. Awad, is there a sense that an anxious and an angry Donald Trump
05:11would not really course correct, he would double down,
05:15that he will be going all out perhaps against Iran.
05:18He got no support when he wanted troops on ground,
05:22the boots on ground and that had he done that,
05:25that's what his sense is,
05:26then it would have been a different outcome.
05:29Well, I believe now the Democrats have control on both the houses.
05:33He will be trimmed his wings and he will not go and all out.
05:37But he is a bully after all.
05:39He can, you know, violate even the American Constitution.
05:42That's why everybody said you violated the American Constitution,
05:45you caused the loss of the Republican Party.
05:47But I believe there will be lots of scrutiny from the administration now in the United States
05:53where he will be checked, I think twice before he go for a full-fledged war.
05:58But as I said, he also does not like defeat, you know.
06:02He is a type of a person who wanted to win.
06:06So maybe he can put extra pressure, Maria, on the issues of going for a full-fledged war
06:12if there is no movement on the political solution with Iran.
06:16However, there are talks, in fact, from inside what we are getting from Washington.
06:20There could be continuous of the American siege and the blockage of Iran and sanction.
06:26That could be the only way out for him to continue with the next two years.
06:31Alan, one thing is clear that among the reasons for this dismal performance of the Republicans
06:39in the midterm has been Iran war.
06:43Of course, the manifestations have been of a different kind,
06:47rising fuel prices, concerns around mortgage and others.
06:52Are you sensing that Donald Trump, when he is pushed against the wall,
06:58he usually reacts?
06:59Is there a sense among the Americans also that he will be going all out this time
07:05against Iran rather than, you know, doing some kind of rethink?
07:10Because every policy of Donald Trump now will be under scrutiny.
07:15Yes.
07:16This attempt to blame the midterm loss on the Iran war is a lot of bunk.
07:22They are trying to make excuses to make Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense,
07:30not Donald Trump, the scapegoat.
07:32Moreover, they're dealing with the Iran war as if it was something that happened to them
07:37rather than something that Donald Trump chose as a war of choice.
07:43Moreover, Donald Trump's approval ratings are collapsing.
07:47So, Alan, you have made an interesting observation before you go ahead.
07:50A word, are you saying that Donald Trump will make Pete Hegseth a fall guy?
07:56Absolutely.
07:57He'll put the entire blame on Pete Hegseth, that it was his call, and not President Trump's.
08:04Absolutely.
08:05You know, Donald Trump has a history of throwing people under the bus
08:10to protect his own reputation and his own standing.
08:14I predict that's exactly what's going to happen here, although it's all a pile of nonsense.
08:21Donald Trump's approval ratings were cratering before the Iran war.
08:28Inflation, the economy, the tariffs were huge problems for America before the Iran war.
08:35Democracy, remarkably, and I've never seen this before, and I'm 79,
08:40has powered up almost equal to inflation and the economy as a critical issue.
08:47Donald Trump's threat to democracy was not tied to the Iran war, but to his actions here at home.
08:55So, there's a double fallacy here, that the Iran war caused the debacle.
09:00It did not, and that Pete Hegseth is responsible, as miserable as his leadership is.
09:07As Harriet Schumann once said, of the presidency, the buck stops here.
09:12It doesn't stop somewhere else.
09:13So, the buck stops clearly with Donald J. Trump, but like him, as you said,
09:20that you know him and you understand the man and the ways in which he functions,
09:26he's going to put the entire blame on Pete Hegseth.
09:30If there is a scrutiny, an examination by the Senate,
09:36then it will be Pete Hegseth who will be told to provide evidence
09:40as to what kind of security threat was Iran at that particular point when the war started.
09:46That is exactly right, and it won't work.
09:51The American people won't be fooled.
09:54Yes, Pete Hegseth is perhaps the most incompetent,
09:58the most evil secretary of defense we've ever had,
10:02who has no strategic sense whatsoever,
10:05and who believes that death and destruction somehow justifies a war
10:10and creates victory when history shows it decidedly does not.
10:16But there are too many burdens on this administration
10:20for them to escape the overwhelming negative burden
10:25of Donald Trump's governance by going after Pete Hegseth.
10:31It's a ploy.
10:32The American people will see through it.
10:34It will not help the Republicans one bit.
10:38Okay.
10:39Dr. Vela, one, two leaders.
10:44One, of course, President Donald Trump.
10:47He still has two years as president.
10:49The other one, Benjamin Netanyahu.
10:53He is still the man leading Israel for the next one and a half months
11:02before the final decision is made.
11:04Do you think that because both of them have been pushed against the wall,
11:09they will be, you know, going all out?
11:13Or should I rephrase it?
11:14Perhaps find new ways of targeting Iran.
11:18Is there a sense, is that the sense in Tehran now?
11:23I think there are lots of sense within the next month it will be very crucial for both the countries.
11:29Because of the domestic political compulsion of both the leaders, they may go still to the extreme.
11:34However, having said that, I would say that Netanyahu now, he will not be able to form the government
11:39because the Arab groups in the Kineset have already decided to show support and give support to the Eisenhower.
11:46So I believe the opposition will be in opposition to form the government.
11:50In that case, Netanyahu will face the trial at home and he will have a problem also with his domestic
11:55politics and his political career.
11:58And even then, President Trump also on the other side, he will be facing that because the Republicans are not
12:03buying.
12:03And I fully agree with Alan, what he has been saying about the domestic issues in the United States
12:09and the Republican, definitely he will find a scapegoat to blame Dixit.
12:13But however, the situation inside the United States is so much and the normal taxpayer in the U.S.
12:19and domestic issues have become more prominent and more harsh on the public of the United States.
12:24And that's why he will have to have some kind of sacrifices, not only with some of the top cabinet
12:31ministers, with his government,
12:32but I believe even they may go to the extreme of impeaching the President Trump.
12:37Okay, so because of domestic compulsions, both leaders are going to have tough times.
12:43So Dr. Awad, what is the future of this war?
12:46I think the future of the whole world wanted this end to this war.
12:50The fact of the matter remains that Iran is not willing to succumb to the pressure that the United States
12:56put the maximum pressure on them,
12:58on the economic sanctions and all.
12:59So therefore, they have passed the difficult situation during the war
13:04and they believe the best exit is for the United States to accept the seven points
13:08Arakji have presented to the U.S. negotiator.
13:11And they said, we are ready for lifting up the siege of the Strait of Hormuz
13:15and also if the American left up the siege of the blockage of the Iranian commercial ship,
13:20provided also they will have lots of other six points to be achieved.
13:23If that is the case, I think an honorable exit for President Trump is the best way out of this
13:28war.
13:28Okay, Alan?
13:31Yes, I completely...
13:32What's the way out of this war?
13:34Trump has got to get out of this war.
13:38And how?
13:38He can't just bomb and bomb.
13:41I agree with the previous speaker who was very astute.
13:45He's got to go a pretty long way to accepting maybe not the seven points, but some version of it.
13:54You know, when we were losing in Vietnam, one very astute analysis says,
13:59get out and claim you've won.
14:02I think that's going to be the strategy of Donald Trump.
14:06Get out, even not on terms that he would have preferred, because he has no leverage anymore,
14:13but get out on some terms and claim victory.
14:17That's all he can do at this point.
14:19He can't bomb his way into victory.
14:22He can't leverage the Iranians into accepting what he wants in American control.
14:28Gulf commitments on nuclear weapons, commitments on proxies.
14:33None of that is going to happen.
14:35He is in probably one of the weakest positions we've ever seen a president in at this stage in a
14:41war.
14:42All right.
14:43Alan Lichman and Dr. Vaila Wad, really appreciate your time.
14:46Thank you so much for joining us.
14:48And one big takeaway of midterm victory of the Democrats was Abdul Al-Sayed.
14:56He has created history as America's first Muslim senator, and his journey goes beyond a Senate victory.
15:04He's a physician, a public health leader, and son of Egyptian immigrants,
15:09and he has now broken a historic barrier in American politics.
15:13During his campaign, Abdul Al-Sayed challenged the political establishment,
15:18put health care and the cost of living at the center of the debate,
15:22and faced a barrage of attacks over his identity and political positions.
15:27Why does Abdul Al-Sayed's victory matter far beyond Michigan?
15:32Here's a report.
15:33Let's give a damn about the need to help the politicians.
15:37Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul! Abdul!
15:42There is a man from Michigan.
15:44Who knows how great we once were?
15:46And how great we can be again.
15:48Abdul Al-Sayed grew up as Michigan as you get.
15:53A campaign that began with just four staffers has ended in a victory
15:57that breaks a 250-year barrier in American politics.
16:01We believe that we can change this world.
16:02He rebuilt the health department after the politicians wore it down.
16:06We got rid of millions of dollars of medical data.
16:08Abdul Al-Sayed is heading to the U.S. Senate,
16:11becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the chamber.
16:14I want to see my check from the moment.
16:17The 42-year-old physician and former Detroit public health director
16:21defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan.
16:24But today, tonight, we can turn that, inshaAllah, into a...
16:29Alhamdulillah.
16:32After victory, Al-Sayed celebrated the delicious irony of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance
16:38having to swear him in after a campaign bid to portray him as a religious extremist.
16:44Listen to the man talk, and it's clear.
16:47Abdul doesn't love this community, Democrat or Republican.
16:51He doesn't love the people who live here.
16:53He hates the history of the United States of America.
16:57He calls our nation irredeemably racist.
17:01He calls the United States of America genocidal, and he hates the people who built it.
17:07J.D.
17:12Habibi.
17:15There is this delicious irony
17:18in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.
17:24He's a doctor.
17:25Abdul ain't no politician.
17:26No corporate pack money.
17:28Build things in Michigan again.
17:29Born to Egyptian immigrant parents, Al-Sayed built his campaign around issues hitting close
17:34to home for millions of Americans.
17:36Three simple ideas.
17:37Money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for all.
17:42Rising living costs, universal health care, and corporate influence in politics.
17:47Abdul Al-Sayed's victory is more than a personal milestone.
17:51It marks a breakthrough for Muslim American representation and puts a progressive voice
17:57in the Senate.
17:58It feels very reminiscent of when Barack Obama won, you know.
18:02The sense in the streets and in the homes is very much like, wow, there is hope again.
18:08There's hope for, you know, a brighter day, a better tomorrow, a more diverse and unified
18:13United States, one that's not geared in identity politics, you know.
18:19Abdul Al-Sayed now takes a seat at a table where no Muslim American has sat before.
18:25Bureau Report, India Today.
18:29And let me bring in Dr. Alia Nazneen Jukaku, who is U.S. Senator Abdul Al-Sayed's wife's aunt,
18:36and she's joining me from Bhatkal in Karnataka.
18:40Ma'am, Abdul Al-Sayed has created history as America's first Muslim senator.
18:47What does this moment really mean for your family?
18:52Thank you for having me.
18:54We are overwhelmed.
18:56We are overjoyed.
18:58I don't think it has sunk in yet.
19:01Alhamdulillah.
19:02It's a big moment for our entire family.
19:06All brothers and sisters who are alive so far, yes, my brother and all his children, of course,
19:15my children, my brothers and sisters, we are all very excited and happy.
19:19This is a really big moment.
19:21It was, we are used to local politics.
19:23My father was a politician.
19:24My uncle was a politician.
19:26So, we are used to politics.
19:28But this is on a different level, isn't it?
19:31And to be the first Muslim senator in the history of U.S. is a great moment.
19:36We are still sinking.
19:37It's still sinking.
19:38And it hasn't dawned on us yet what it means, isn't it?
19:45After he's sworn in, probably it will be more evident.
19:49Dr. Alia, was there a discussion within the family at any point?
19:53Sara comes from a family of politics, as you said.
19:56But Abdul, of course, doesn't have that background.
19:59This will be seen as a significant barrier being broken in American politics.
20:04What was really happening in the family on the results night?
20:08Were you praying through the night?
20:12We were all awake.
20:14Our eyes and ears were glued to the news channels.
20:18We were watching Michigan, the venue, the Democratic venue, overnight, all the time.
20:25We never switched off our phones or TVs.
20:28Yes.
20:28Of course, we knew he was contesting.
20:30He had contested for governor before.
20:33But that time, it wasn't at such a favorish pitch, wasn't it?
20:36It was a very laid-back affair.
20:39He lost because I think at that time, neither was he ready nor was the state ready to receive him.
20:46So we knew he was interested in politics.
20:49And then he became the CNN's medical sort of represent, you know, public health correspondent.
20:59So he was always in the limelight.
21:01He was always famous in a way, but probably locally than nationally.
21:07We knew he was contesting.
21:09Even when he won the primaries, we were all very apprehensive and watching the news.
21:16I think we stayed up two nights waiting for the results.
21:19And when he won, it was by narrow margin.
21:23So at this time, we were all very anxious and we were waiting for the moment.
21:27But, yeah, my brother was keeping us updated with the numbers.
21:32So we knew he was winning.
21:34And then he just wrote, he won.
21:37That's it.
21:37And there was cheering on the WhatsApp group.
21:40Because all of us family members are scattered all over the world.
21:44No two people live in the same city among us, brothers and sisters.
21:47So it's always by phone and WhatsApp.
21:50But we are very close.
21:51My brother, we speak to him at least two times or three times a week normally.
21:56And now and then Sarah would, whenever she's in the house, she would talk to us.
22:00But Abdurrahman was always busy.
22:02Once or twice, yeah, when he was campaigning, some relative was there.
22:05They allowed us to talk to him.
22:08That's how we were in touch.
22:09But we were in the loop all along.
22:12Abdurrahman's Muslim identity was something that was discussed a lot during this campaign.
22:16In fact, the U.S. president went to the extent of calling him a jihadist.
22:22Did at any point the family get worried with the sheer shrillness of this campaign?
22:29See, how these things land in America, we don't know.
22:33We live in poor little Batkal town.
22:35How it impacts, we don't know.
22:37We just used to watch all these clips.
22:40But somehow Abdurrahman was very cool about it.
22:45It never bothered him.
22:47He knew how to handle all this Malal, you know, Badnami.
22:55He used to handle it very well.
22:57He was very cool.
22:59He knew how to reply.
23:01And he was more focused on his goals.
23:04He never let all that upset him.
23:06He was only focused on his goals of providing health care, seeing that inflation is stopped so that people can
23:16afford food and gas and his political statement.
23:22So since he remained focused and glued to his cause, God also helped him.
23:27And of course, all of us were praying very, very hard day and night that Allah gives him success and
23:33gives him something like may the best man win kind of prayers.
23:40My last question to you, Dr. Alia, as you said, he campaigned on issues such as cost of living, housing,
23:49public services and affordability.
23:51What do you think connected him with the voters?
23:57I think it was his very campaign motto.
24:04He was very clear about what his goals were.
24:07And he went door to door.
24:09He has campaigned.
24:10I think in one day he used to do five to six campaigns.
24:13I was wondering how he gets the energy to do it.
24:17But he's very energetic.
24:18He has always been very committed from the start, even when he was a student.
24:22He got married when he was an undergraduate student.
24:26So we know him from 20 years, right?
24:28So we've always seen he's very focused.
24:31So he used to discuss about the medical problems in the U.S.
24:37and how he could change things for the better.
24:41And he always discussed that with us.
24:43He always spoke to us about it.
24:46And yeah, and he said that then he became, that's why he did public health, right?
24:51Because if you're a doctor, you see one patient, two patients.
24:54If you're a public health expert, you make a change for a large group of people.
25:00So when he went into public health, he became the director of health in Michigan.
25:05He was the director of Wayne County and several other positions.
25:08I'm not sure about the names.
25:10I don't remember them.
25:11But he always did his best.
25:13And when he reached the maximum capacity, he was looking for other fields to play on.
25:18And he always said that he wanted to make a large scale impact.
25:22What he's doing is not enough.
25:24There is still so many public health problems out there that need to be addressed and can be addressed.
25:30So when he reached the pinnacle in public health, he said, OK, now I think I need to branch out.
25:36And then he remembered what Bill Clinton had told him, that he should become a politician because he has the
25:41right characteristics to become a good politician.
25:46So he said, OK, now maybe I think if I become a politician, I can do better.
25:50So that's when he decided that he wants to go into politics.
25:56That's when he stood for governor.
25:57That was the absolute start.
25:59And then he didn't win.
26:01Then he went on to become the health correspondent for CNN.
26:04So he used to address a lot of public health issues.
26:07So he was always in this field of doing service to the public in whatever capacity he could.
26:19All right, Dr. Alia Nazneen-Jukaku, really appreciate your time.
26:23Thank you so much for joining us.
26:24That is the India Connect to Abdulal Saeed.
26:29The senator-elect of Michigan.
26:31We are putting out the interview and everything on our website and also on the YouTube channel.
26:36Thanks so much for watching.