U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally to support Republican Senate candidate former Congressman Mike Rogers ahead of the midterm elections at an entertainment complex in Port Huron, Michigan, on October 25, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
In August, President Donald Trump claimed that 97% of his Republican candidates had won their primaries.
And it’s also true that Trump has shown an ability to influence races, especially in Republican primaries, and has nominated politicians he doesn’t like, such as Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.).
But while he has not shied away from voicing his opinions on foreign leaders, his influence over elections in other countries has proven to be less strong.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election on Sunday, defeating Trump ally Flavio Bolsonaro, whose father Jair was also a Trump ally.
Also over the weekend, a student-led movement in Serbia defeated the ruling party of Aleksandar Vucic, a populist leader who has cultivated ties to Trump and his allies. Vucic has been president of Serbia since 2017 and prime minister from 2014 to 2017.
In his concession speech, Vucic said his defeat was due to “the legalization of a revolution carried out with direct support from European countries and the American deep state opposed to President Trump.”
Earlier this year, Vice President J.D. Vance visited Hungary for two days and publicly supported then-Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, Mr. Orbán, who was supported by President Trump and is a loyal ally, lost the election and was removed from office after 16 years in office.
In October, President Trump also endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection bid. The results of the Oct. 27 election have not yet been finalized, but the Associated Press reported that Netanhayu’s Likud party appears to have lost its majority in parliament.
Still, experts say Trump’s influence in global elections remains volatile.
“Elections are always national first and regional or global a very distant second,” Kass Mudeh, a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, told CNBC.
Additionally, Stein van Kessel, a professor of comparative politics at Queen Mary University of London, said it was not clear whether Mr. Trump had previously had much influence with far-right groups in other regions.
“Far-right parties and politicians like to celebrate each other’s victories because it allows them to project themselves as part of a successful global movement,” he said, adding that such relationships can quickly deteriorate when national interests conflict and foreign partners become harmful in the eyes of domestic voters.
Van Kessel pointed to the rift between President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this year, which stemmed from Italy’s refusal to allow U.S. aircraft to use one of its NATO air bases for its war against Iran.
President Trump later claimed that Meloni “begged” him to take a photo at the G7 summit, a claim that prompted Meloni’s denial.
right wing strength
Still, right-wing movements remain strong in many parts of the world. Marine Le Pen is currently the frontrunner in France to succeed Emmanuel Macron as president, according to a poll compiled by Politico. But historically, she often begins leading a crowded field of candidates before support solidifies around more moderate candidates.
In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won 20.8% of the vote in the February 2025 federal election, making it the country’s largest opposition party. Argentina is led by Trump ally Javier Millei, and Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriela, was elected on a far-right platform.
Still, Mudde noted that most far-right leaders would sever ties with Trump if his unpopularity grew in their countries. Trump’s poll numbers are near record lows in the U.S. on issues such as the Iran war and the cost of living amid soaring energy prices.
“When voters are economically dissatisfied, they’re willing to challenge anyone, but when that experiment fails, they move on to something else,” said David Barker, a government professor at American University in Washington, D.C., adding that Trump is currently “undermining his ability to maintain the support of allies.”
