US midterm results hit Trump's party and leave Pakistan's army chief Munir facing a weaker White House link

The results of the US midterm elections are in, and former President Donald Trump's Republican Party has suffered a major political setback. The effects are being felt not only in Washington but also in Pakistan's political and military circles.

For the past two years, Pakistan's Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has made every effort to build a direct and personal relationship with the Trump administration. With the Democratic Party now stronger in the US Congress, there are clear signs that Islamabad's direct access to the White House, and its influence there, is weakening. Pakistan's foreign policy has been thrown off balance by the sudden shift.

According to analysts, the results will hit Pakistan's military leadership hardest. As soon as Trump's second term began, Pakistan showed unusual haste in moving closer to the US, and Munir was the main link. In June 2025, Munir attended a special lunch with Trump at the White House. No civilian official of the Pakistan government was present at that important meeting. This showed that the Pakistani military held the entire charge of managing ties with the US.

According to the Pakistani military, the talks were not limited to counter-terrorism or security cooperation. They also covered economic areas such as mining, energy and cryptocurrency. As part of this closeness, Pakistan later joined Trump's "Board of Peace" and also nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. In May 2025, Pakistan claimed that Trump had played a role in reducing tensions between India and Pakistan. India, however, had firmly rejected any proposal of third-party mediation.

Pakistan's troubles are not limited to diplomacy. The threat of scrutiny of its business dealings now looms as well. Pakistan has struck several large deals with companies linked to Trump's associates and family. It signed a memorandum of understanding on the possibility of international transactions through the "USD1 stablecoin" of World Liberty Financial, which is linked to Trump. The redevelopment project of the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan and the purchase of military equipment from the drone maker Powerus are also among the deals in which Trump's sons Donald Jr and Eric Trump have investments. With Democrats gaining strength in Congress, a close investigation of these questionable, transactional deals with the Trump family is considered highly likely. According to former ambassador Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's deals were driven only by short-term interest, and the agreements will not last long as US equations change.

Alongside the diplomatic setback, Pakistan's economy is on the verge of collapse because of the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel. Pakistan, with a population of about 240 million, depends entirely on imports for its energy and oil needs. Crude oil prices in the international market have soared, and ordinary Pakistanis are reeling from inflation.

Ordinary people such as Sajjad Ali and Asim Zafar of Karachi had hoped Trump's policies would bring some positive change. But even after US mediation, Pakistan has received no concrete economic relief. The US Export-Import Bank has approved $1.25 billion for the Reko Diq copper and gold project. However, the US has so far taken no clear position on the $10 billion in emergency financial assistance that was expected from the US Treasury.

According to Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council, Pakistan still has some important issues, such as counter-terrorism cooperation and a go-between role in talks with Iran. These have the backing of both the Republican and Democratic parties in the US. But Pakistan's biggest mistake was to rest its entire foreign policy on Donald Trump and the White House alone. With political power in Washington now tilting towards the Democrats, Islamabad will have to change its whole strategy to maintain its influence.