Jesse Ramdeo
Senior Reporter
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is brushing aside concerns that the Democrats’ sweeping victories in the United States midterm elections could undermine Trinidad and Tobago’s relationship with Washington, insisting that cooperation between the two countries will continue regardless of who controls the American political machinery.
The Democrats dealt Trump a significant political setback on Tuesday, capturing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in a major electoral rebuke of the Republican administration.
The victories give Democrats considerable power to block legislation, scrutinise the administration, launch investigations and challenge Trump’s judicial and senior government appointments.
Responding to questions from Guardian Media yesterday, Persad-Bissessar described the outcome as predictable, arguing that midterm elections have historically presented challenges for the party occupying the White House.
“These midterm results were very predictable and in line with the cycle of midterm election results going back decades,” the Prime Minister said.
She questioned why the People’s National Movement (PNM) was reacting so strongly to the results, insisting that the change in congressional control would not disrupt the working relationship between Port-of-Spain and Washington.
“I really don’t understand why the PNM is crashing out because tomorrow morning the US and Trinidadian governments will continue working together as normal,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar maintained that the United States operates according to its own national interests, irrespective of which political party controls the presidency, Senate or Congress.
Padarath fires back at Rowley
Meanwhile, acting Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Barry Padarath has come out swinging against former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley, dismissing his criticism of the United National Congress (UNC) Government’s foreign policy as a “nonsensical rant.”
Rowley described the Democratic victories as a decisive response by the American electorate and urged T&T to examine its own political direction.
He said the UNC Government had openly attacked and insulted Democratic leadership while in Opposition, but had subsequently embraced the Trump administration despite what he described as its record of “vile racism, military bullying, corruption and cruelty.”
“The rampage in America has been decisively addressed by the American people. This is a good time for the people of Trinidad and Tobago to pay careful attention to our own situation and take stock of where we are going and what we have done in relation to the politics that have been roundly repudiated in America yesterday (Tuesday),” Rowley said.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Padarath accused Rowley and the former PNM administration of presiding over a stagnant foreign policy that left T&T seeking handouts rather than pursuing meaningful diplomatic relationships.
“For too long, Rowley and his cronies postured Trinidad and Tobago on the international stage as spineless beggars looking for handouts rather than meaningful diplomatic changes to advance democracy or bilateral relationships on transnational security and much-needed economic turnaround,” Padarath declared.
He accused the former administration of remaining silent on international issues and maintaining the status quo, insisting that the UNC Government intended to take a more assertive approach.
Asked whether the Democrats’ midterm victories should concern the Government, Padarath downplayed their significance, describing midterm elections as a snapshot of the political and economic climate.
Padarath also turned his criticism towards Rowley personally, suggesting the former prime minister had not recovered from the PNM’s defeat at the last general election.
Knight: T&T has put too many eggs in Trump’s basket
But while the Prime Minister and her acting Foreign Affairs Minister are dismissing concerns over the political shift in Washington, Professor Andy Knight believes the consequences for T&T could be far-reaching.
In a detailed assessment shared with Guardian Media, Knight described the Democrats’ victory as a “Blue tsunami,” arguing that T&T’s diplomatic position is particularly vulnerable because of what he considers the Government’s close alignment with Trump.
“For Trinidad and Tobago, this matters more than for any other Caricom state, because Kamla Persad-Bissessar tethered herself and her government to Donald Trump,” Knight warned.
He believes Democratic control of Congress could open the door to investigations into some of the Trump administration’s controversial foreign policy decisions in the Caribbean.
These include US military operations, drug-boat strikes and the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
He said the Democratic-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee could become a particularly important platform for such investigations.
Knight cautioned that while Trump retains executive authority over US foreign policy until the end of his term in January 2029, congressional control over funding and oversight could significantly constrain his administration.
He expects the new Democratic majority to scrutinise funding for Caribbean security operations, Haiti, deportations and other foreign policy initiatives, while pursuing hearings and subpoenas into alleged human rights abuses.
Knight also raised concerns about the implications for T&T’s position on Cuba and Venezuela.
His advice was clear, “T&T made a huge mistake hitching its wagon to one man – Donald Trump. The midterm blue tsunami should serve as a lesson of what not to do when you are a small island state.”
