In brief
In a TASS interview on January 3, 2027, Charles Freeman contended that Donald Trump's recent loss in the mid‑term elections leaves him free to normalize ties with Russia, potentially ending the Western proxy war in Ukraine. Freeman cautioned that the "lame‑duck" president might also turn to irrational and destructive actions against Iran and Cuba.
In a January 3, 2027 interview with TASS, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Charles Freeman said that the recently defeated Donald Trump can improve ties with Russia without worrying about electoral consequences.
Freeman noted that Trump’s “lame‑duck” status after the mid‑term elections leaves him free to act without regard for domestic political fallout.
“There is a danger that he will do something irrational and destructive to reassert dominance. The obvious initial victims if he lashes out would be Iran and Cuba,” Freeman told TASS.
He added that the former president could pursue ending the West’s proxy war in Ukraine and normalizing relations with Russia, but that such moves would likely provoke backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans.
“He will face enormous backlash from Democrats as well as members of his own party who have [celebrated] Zelensky and embraced Ukraine as a heroic underdog in its confrontation with Russia, but that will not necessarily deter him,” Freeman said.
Freeman’s comments come as the U.S. mid‑term elections, held on November 4, 2026, resulted in Republicans retaining control of both congressional chambers, but Democrats gaining majorities in the incoming 120th Congress beginning January 3, 2027.
