Trump Heads to Asia for Nuclear Talks Amid Domestic Political Turmoil

US President Donald Trump is heading to Asia this week seeking to regain momentum after his Republican Party suffered major losses in the 2026 midterm elections . The centrepiece of the trip is an unprecedented three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss their countries’ nuclear stockpiles. The meeting would bring together the leaders of the world’s three major nuclear powers and give Trump an opportunity to pursue his long-standing ambition of using personal relationships with both leaders to secure major diplomatic agreements. However, Trump has yet to achieve significant breakthroughs with either Xi or Putin. His visit also comes as his administration faces pressure over trade, the wars in Iran and Ukraine, and restrictions on advanced artificial intelligence chips. Trump will travel to the Philippines on Tuesday to meet Southeast Asian leaders before heading to China on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. In China, he is scheduled to meet Xi for the third time this year and hold talks with Putin. The trip comes as US allies in Asia seek stronger American support amid China’s growing regional influence and military activity. The November 3 midterm results dealt a major blow to Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, flipping key seats and ending Republican control of Congress. This shift means Trump will face a Democratic majority in both chambers starting in January 2027, giving the opposition greater power to scrutinise his administration, launch investigations and challenge his legislative agenda. The scale of the defeat also triggered changes within Republican leadership, with House Speaker Mike Johnson deciding not to seek another term as party leader. The Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections have weakened Trump’s position in Washington. Democrats are set to gain control of Congress in January, potentially making it harder for the president to advance his domestic and foreign policy priorities. Trump has also faced criticism over his tariff policies and the war with Iran, both of which have contributed to voter dissatisfaction. The president’s decision to focus on international diplomacy follows a pattern among previous US leaders. Barack Obama travelled to Beijing in 2014, days after Democrats lost control of the Senate, to negotiate carbon emission targets with Xi, reported AP. George W Bush attended the APEC summit in Vietnam after Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006, as reported by AP. Kurt Campbell, a former deputy secretary of state under Joe Biden, said presidents sometimes turn to international diplomacy when domestic politics become difficult. “I think he, like other presidents, has figured out that in a moment where things are really hard domestically: Get on an airplane and go international,” Campbell told AP. Trump’s previous Asia visit, about a year ago, resulted in a trade truce with China and investment pledges from Japan and South Korea. During the current trip, the White House has said he will sign a trade deal with Thailand in Manila and attend meetings with regional leaders. Trade, advanced technology and the wars in Iran and Ukraine could complicate Trump’s diplomatic agenda. The controversy surrounding Nvidia and its former chief executive Jensen Huang has renewed attention on US restrictions on advanced AI chip exports to China. Huang stepped down last week following reports about his personal relationships and allegations involving Alice Huang, a former Megaspeed executive. Claims about Alice Huang’s alleged links to Chinese intelligence remain unverified, while Beijing has denied involvement. Huang had travelled with Trump aboard Air Force One during the president’s May visit to China and attended a state dinner for Xi in Washington in September. The developments have increased scrutiny of the administration’s approach to advanced chip exports. However, US officials told reporters they did not expect the Nvidia controversy to dominate Trump’s discussions with Xi. The president will also travel with Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, who spent at least $445 million trying to help Republicans retain control of Congress. Democrats are keen to examine Musk’s relationship with the administration. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said lawmakers would closely monitor Trump’s discussions and decisions abroad. “We’re going to have a very close eye on it,” Meeks told AP. Democrats have also called for tougher sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine and urged Trump to fulfil an arms agreement with Taiwan, which Beijing opposes.