After midterms, Europe looks beyond Trump

Democrats' sweeping midterm victory could give European allies fresh confidence to push back against President Donald Trump, weakening his leverage over countries that have previously accommodated his demands.

After the midterms, "everybody is now obliged to look toward the post-Trump era," a European diplomat told Semafor.

"In the first two years [of Trump's presidency], we saw a lot of bending the knee by Europeans," said Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But Bergmann predicted that deference could fade: "We're going to see less of that going forward, because there's a sense that they don't need to take it."

Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, said allies like the United Kingdom and South Korea may also be less inclined to honor billion-dollar trade agreements negotiated under pressure; instead, they'll have an "incentive" to "play out the clock."

"President Trump has effectively restored American strength on the global stage and strengthened relationships with world leaders," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Semafor.

"The results speak for themselves: fair trade is restored, investments are pouring in, narcoterrorists are eliminated, detained Americans are home, and our homeland is safer. The President will continue to work with anyone to put America first and improve the livelihoods of families across the country," she said.