Why voters around Asia had Trump on their minds as they headed to the polls

Political analysts believe tariffs played a role in recent elections in Australia and Singapore, but not enough to fully explain the results

After Canada’s ruling Liberals held on to power in recent elections and incumbent governments in Australia and Singapore did better than expected with voters, some political commentators have linked successes at the polls with what they see as a rejection of the policies and tariffs of US President Donald Trump.

But is there really a “Trump effect” and how much does it matter in elections?