Midterm revolt, AI fears and the morality of executions

Trump greets attendees upon arrival to speak on the first day of the Midterm Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas Keystone-SDA

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday we look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science.

As Republicans appear to lose faith in their president, the US is raising global concerns about artificial intelligence and the morality of executions.

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Some Republicans may be having doubts about their president. 2026 Getty Images

It’s normal to see the US plunged into “political frenzy” by the midterm elections. “Yet the chaos is particularly intense this year, accompanied by unprecedented manoeuvres from the sitting president,” says Le Temps.

In less than a month from now, the Republican Party looks set to lose its majority in the House of Representatives – and possibly also in the Senate.

Beset by rising fuel prices and a war of attrition in the Middle East, Republican die-hards appear to be losing faith in President Donald Trump, the newspaper states.

“Republicans in some of the country’s ‘reddest’ states seem doubtful that Donald Trump can still make much of a difference there.”

According to Blick, Trump is facing rebellion from some of his own Senators, typified by outgoing Senator Thom Tillis, who has written a book criticizing Trump policies. “If the Republicans suffer significant losses, many of them will face a new question: Is opposing Trump actually more dangerous for their political careers than unconditional loyalty?” the newspaper writes.

But Le Matin Dimanche believes Trump has a plan no matter the result of the elections.

“The White House incumbent is preparing the ground for a crushing defeat, in a typical Trumpian manoeuvre: if successful, he will take credit for it; if defeated, he will blame the electoral fiasco on the Republican Party.”

• Midterm election analysis by Le TempsExternal link and Le Matin DimancheExternal link

US President Donald Trump and AI executives Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

The US and China appear to be engaged in determining the future path of artificial intelligence (AI). This highlights the gulf between these superpowers and the rest of the world, opines the Swiss media.

AI was one item on the agenda during a recent meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The question is how to control the technology while sharing the spoils of its beneficial power.

“Europe and Switzerland are lagging far behind,” according to Le Temps. “If the United States is beginning to fear being overtaken [by China], what does that mean for us Europeans? We are merely spectators in a battle that is beyond our control.”

Trump has again made it clear that he will not impede the competitive advantage of leading US AI companies with regulation. After a meeting with heavyweight AI executives, Trump has championed the self-regulatory path.

It seems the world will rely on the likes of OpenAI and Nvidia to secure global safety. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung suggests some other options to stop bad actors from abusing AI.

“Because regulating AI development is so difficult, future regulations might focus on access to and the deployment of these models. Permissible areas of application could be defined for AI agents. Certain AI queries could be blocked based on the user’s country of origin.”

• Le Temps fears Europe is being left behindExternal link – (French, paywall)
  
• How AI might be controlledExternal link – NZZ (German, paywall)

The botched execution of Christa Pike has provoked horror worldwide Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

The botched execution of Christa Pike has appalled many people both in the US and around the world, including Switzerland.

Pike, who had been sentenced to death in Tennessee for murder, has regained consciousness but remains in a critical condition in hospital after two doses of pentobarbital failed to kill her on September 30. The case has again raised questions about capital punishment.

“When the state reacts by carrying out a state-sanctioned killing, it is nothing other than judicial murder,” German journalist and author Helmut Ortner tells Swiss public broadcaster SRF. “It knows that the death penalty has no deterrent effect and that wrongful convictions are possible.”

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung also takes a critical view of the death penalty. “The state assumes the right to judge the lives of its citizens,” the newspaper states. “This is unworthy of an enlightened and liberal society.”

A Tages Anzeiger article runs through a series of grisly executions that went wrong in the US over the years. “Christa Pike’s case has reignited the debate surrounding the lethal injection drugs used in executions. It is a harrowing story in every respect,” the newspaper concludes.

• Pike execution ‘harrowing’External link, says Tages Anzeiger (German, paywall)
  
• Helmut Ortner opinion of executionsExternal link – SRF (German)
  
• “Unworthy of an enlightened society”External link – NZZ (German, paywall)

The next edition of ‘Swiss views of US news’ will be published on Wednesday, October 14. See you then!

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