Rising inequality, diesel deal and another execution

Inequality may play a big role in the midterm elections 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.

With the midterm elections getting closer, the political stakes – and decisions – are heating up in the US. The knock-on effects are being felt elsewhere in the world.

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Voters at Republican rally Keystone-SDA

Rising inequality and income disparity may well play a big part in the forthcoming US midterm elections, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

“The feeling among some voters of having been left behind economically helped Donald Trump win his first term as president in 2016,” says the newspaper. “Economic factors played a decisive role in his 2024 re-election as well. Now, voter dissatisfaction is likely to take a toll on Trump’s Republicans in the November 3 midterm elections.”

Since the turn of the Millennium, wealth has quadrupled for the top 20 earners, but much less so for middle-income groups, states NZZ. And a similar picture has emerged regarding wages.

This may come back to haunt the current administration, the newspaper observes. US voters also feel more disconnected from politics, which is also dominated by the wealthy.

“The growing influence of large donations contributes to the popular narrative that big business can exert undue influence on politics – something ordinary wage earners have little power to counter,” says the NZZ. Rising rents, food and fuel prices in recent months have only added to voter frustration. The situation clearly points to a resounding loss for the Republican Party as voters will likely “vent their anger over the rising cost of living at the ballot box”.

How the cost of living may influence votersExternal link – NZZ (German, paywall)

Trump wants fuel prices to fall Keystone-SDA

President Donald Trump has rolled the dice once again to win votes next month. Having threatened to restrict supplies of US diesel to the world, Trump then lifted sanctions on Russian fuel exports.

The end game is clearly to bring down the price of diesel to win back disaffected domestic voters in time for the midterm elections. The Russian deal has been criticized for allowing Russia to make more money to spend on waging war in Ukraine.

Diesel prices in the US have risen by an average of 70%, and gasoline prices by 40% since the start of the year, states the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

“[Trump’s] reasons for once again undermining Europeans while accommodating Russia remain baffling,” says the newspaper. “While he alienates the US’s staunchest allies and exacerbates the suffering in Ukraine, the anticipated volume of Russian diesel exports is unlikely to significantly alter global market prices.”

Le Temps also questions the rationale. “At best, the figures cited amount to barely a week’s worth of US consumption. Yet, evidently, that is enough for Donald Trump to abandon Kyiv once again.” “The White House incumbent contributed to this situation by launching a war against Iran,” the newspaper points out.

Opinion of Trump’s diesel deal by Le TempsExternal link (French, paywall) and NZZExternal link (German, paywall)

Pete Hegseth has a deliberate communication strategy Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Americans were still reeling from the botched execution of Christa Pike when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the livestreaming of the execution of a former army officer.

Ex-major Nidal Hasan has been condemned to death by firing squad after killing 13 people in a mass shooting at an army base in 2009. Hegseth said he would livestream the execution for public consumption on December 3.

The backlash has been fierce, leading to suggestions that the White House could intervene to reverse the decision. But Swiss public broadcaster SRF believes Hegseth’s comment is part of his long-standing strategy of communicating to the public in direct, and often shocking, style.

“Hegseth knows how to make headlines. He regularly tackles topics that offend parts of society,” says SRF. “The planned execution [of Hasan] is indicative of how Hegseth manipulates public attention.”

Previous efforts at tapping into public opinion include a purge of ‘woke’ ideology in the armed forces. “No fat guys, no trans people, no beards, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals.” “Hegseth has evidently developed a strategy for packaging messages in a way that is easy to understand,” says SRF. “His ability to communicate in a way that resonates with Trump’s electorate was crucial in Trump’s decision to bring him into his administration in the first place.”

SRF’s summary of Hegseth’s communications strategy (German)

The next edition of ‘Swiss views of US news’ will be published on Wednesday, October 21. See you then!

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