Nov 5, 2026 · 14 min
Election limits Trump as affordability crisis deepens
The Cost of Living Crisis Isn’t Going Away
The episode connects a constrained Congress, contested foreign-policy leverage, rising rates, and housing pressure to voters’ enduring cost-of-living concerns.
- 1Democrats retain Senate control, but Congress may have limited power to restrain Trump’s foreign-policy agenda.
- 2Data-center expansion faces growing local resistance as communities weigh infrastructure demands against jobs and investment.
- 3Expected rate hikes are worsening housing-market paralysis even as Nintendo and Sony profit from broader entertainment businesses.
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Bertrand Benoit’s explanation of why Congress may have limited ability to constrain Trump’s foreign-policy agenda is the episode’s central political tension.
The brief
Democrats retain Senate control, with Chuck Schumer likely to remain majority leader, but unresolved races leave the size of that advantage uncertain.
Data-center construction is becoming a political liability as communities in Ohio and Texas weigh infrastructure concerns against jobs and investment, potentially slowing technology expansion.
Bertrand Benoit explains why a Democratic-controlled Congress may still struggle to constrain Trump’s foreign policy, tariffs, or possible moves involving Iran and Cuba.
Congress could gain leverage over policy toward Israel and Ukraine through military and financial aid, especially as signs of distance between the United States and Israel emerge.
The affordability crisis persists as central banks signal more rate hikes, pushing mortgage costs higher and leaving buyers and sellers sidelined; Zillow’s stronger revenue did not prevent a sharp share decline.
Nintendo and Sony show the upside of expanding beyond traditional gaming, with intellectual-property income and film success lifting their earnings outlooks.
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