Midterm elections in the United States, lacking the rigmarole of a presidential contest, have typically been low on the international radar. The 2018 contest, however, has drawn renewed scrutiny as allies and competitors look for signals on long-term U.S. relations and if it is better to wait out the Trump administration or, if he will finish out his term and perhaps gain a second, the pragmatic choice is to engage with him.

Although the midterm elections are not explicitly about President Trump, through tweets, rallies, ads, and campaigning he has done what he could to keep himself in the spotlight and, in the process, make clear that the election, for all of its candidates, is largely about him.