After election drubbing, Trump heads to Asia to show world he’s still in charge

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks near a seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday. | REUTERS

Nov 12, 2026

Still reeling from his party’s drubbing in midterm congressional elections earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump will next week head to Asia, where all eyes will be on how the electoral defeat impacts his administration’s policy toward the region.

Trump will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit in Manila and then visit Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, where he will meet with allies and adversaries alike.

The visit follows his Republican Party’s devastating loss at the ballots on Nov. 3 that saw the rival Democrats win majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate, dealing a severe blow to Trump’s domestic agenda and leaving foreign policy as one of the last arenas where he still wields significant power.

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