随着美国临近中期选举，这场竞争正逐渐演变为一场关于唐纳德·特朗普、美国民主制度的韧性，以及分裂的民主党能否将广泛的公众不满转化为连贯政治替代方案的公投。
As the US approaches the midterms, the contest is emerging as a referendum on Donald Trump, the resilience of American democratic institutions and the ability of a divided Democratic Party to transform widespread public dissatisfaction into a coherent political alternative.
阿姆斯特丹大学美国研究助理教授凯蒂·赫尔指出，随着一些共和党人开始寻求与特朗普保持距离，这位总统高度民粹化和个人化的政治手法正成为一种选举累赘。
With some Republicans now seeking to distance themselves from Trump, Katy Hull, Assistant Professor of American Studies at the University of Amsterdam, suggests that the president's highly populist and personalised approach to politics is becoming an electoral liability.
菲利普·特尔观察到，共和党选民转向反对党“作为一种抗议唐纳德·特朗普的形式”，而非对民主党的背书。
Philip Turle observes Republican voters turning towards the opposition "as a form of protest against Donald Trump", rather than an endorsement of the Democrats.