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| Congress Lost, a Major Blow for Trump |
What the various polls had predicted for the US midterm elections has been confirmed by the results. President Donald Trump's Republican Party has lost both the Senate, the upper chamber of the US Congress, and the House of Representatives, the lower chamber. Despite the hatred-spreading, divisiveness, and other underhanded tactics of Trump and his close associates, the American people have ruled in favor of the Democratic Party. This Democratic victory makes it clear that the last two years of Trump's second term as president will not be easy.
The US midterm election is said to be the public's assessment of a president's first two years of work. Pollsters and analysts had said in advance that public discontent over the Iran war, rising living costs, tariff policy, corruption allegations, and other issues would have a major impact on this assessment. Most polls had said the Democrats were going to win majorities in both chambers of Congress. The election results, however, surpassed these forecasts.
Of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives, the Republican Party held 218 after the 2024 presidential election, and the Democrats held 214. In this midterm election, as of 12:30 pm New York local time yesterday, Wednesday (11:30 pm Bangladesh time), the Democrats had won 225 seats in the House, and the Republicans 138. A majority in the House requires 218 seats. The Democratic Party crossed this "magic figure" while results for 73 seats were still pending.
While all House seats were up for election, voting was held for 35 of the Senate's 100 seats. A majority in this chamber requires at least 51 seats. As of the latest reports yesterday, the Democrats held 54 seats in the Senate, while Trump's Republican Party held 44. Before the election, the Senate stood at 53 seats for the Republican Party and 45 for the Democratic Party. In addition, two independent senators supported the Democrats.
Defeat in both chambers is a major blow to Trump. The elected representatives will take their oath in January. After that, Democratic members of the House will be able to launch investigations into the Trump administration if they wish. Trump's family and allies could also come under investigation. And there will, of course, be obstacles to legislating. On the other hand, with a Senate majority, the Democrats will be able to block various Trump appointments. In short, it will become difficult for President Trump to pass laws or make decisions that require congressional approval.
Laurel Rapp, a researcher at the think tank Chatham House, believes the American people have sent a message of change through this election. She told the Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera that over the next two years Trump will face quite a few obstacles in policymaking. However, she said, he still holds significant power in decisions about relations with other countries, the deployment of US troops, and the continuation of wars.
Why the Republicans Lost
Trump first came to power in 2017, in his first term. He lost the election at the end of that term. But he won the next election and took office as US president for a second term in 2025. Ahead of this midterm election, Reuters/Ipsos published a poll showing that Trump's popularity had fallen to 31 percent, the lowest of his two terms.
The reasons behind this collapse in popularity are essentially what paved the way for the Republicans' defeat. First comes the Iran war. Contrary to Trump's claims, the war did not end quickly. Instead, it increased living costs. The benefits Trump had promised from imposing tariffs on various countries also failed to materialize. Added to this are allegations that a member of the Trump family has used government policy to increase their wealth. The Democrats used all of this effectively in their campaign.
There were also some flaws in Trump's own decisions regarding the election. In the run-up to the election, he intervened in several places during candidate selection. Many of those candidates caused widespread discontent in the Republican camp. Examples include Ken Paxton, the Senate candidate in Texas, a Republican stronghold, and Darlene Graham, the Senate candidate in South California. Both lost.
Direct voting took place last Tuesday. After voting ended, the polling organization SSRS released an exit poll. Three-quarters of the voters surveyed said they are not at all "satisfied" with the current state of the country. In addition, 70 percent of voters said they want Congress to play a more active role in establishing checks and balances on the president's power.
"We Must Roll Up Our Sleeves"
The Democrats' victory in the US House is their biggest in 35 years. The last time was in 1990, when they won 267 seats in the House. In this election, Republicans lost support in many areas regardless of whether they were wealthy or poor, or had higher or lower education levels. Conversely, the Democrats performed better in Latino-majority, border, and agricultural areas.
Along with the House and Senate, gubernatorial elections were held in 36 of the 50 states this time. The Democrats are ahead there as well. As of the latest reports, 28 of the 50 states are now held by Democrats, and 20 by Republicans. The Republicans lost the governorship in five states. In the House, Senate, and gubernatorial elections, the Democrats have also made some history this time.
Speaking of history, the first name that comes up is Abdul El-Sayed, elected as the first Muslim senator in US history. No small effort was made to defeat this candidate from Michigan. Trump did not hold back from making anti-Muslim remarks about El-Sayed, who is of Egyptian descent. Right before the election, a local Democratic leader, Haley Stevens, even withdrew her support for him.
Others include Deb Haaland, who was elected governor of New Mexico, becoming the first Native American woman governor in the US. Peggy Flanagan has become the first Native American woman senator from Minnesota. Keisha Lance, elected in Georgia, is set to become the first Black woman governor in the US. And Gina Hinojosa, elected from Texas, will become the first Latina governor.
After the victory, there is a festive mood in the Democratic camp. Democratic leader in the House Hakeem Jeffries said American citizens have delivered a verdict through their votes that they will no longer tolerate extremism and corruption. If all goes as expected, he is set to become Speaker of Congress. Former President Barack Obama said that, for change to happen, Democrats must roll up their sleeves and get to work.
Trump Changes His Tune
Trump did not hold back on bluster before this election. He went campaigning in one state after another. He labeled the Democrats with various tags, such as "socialists, terrorists, dangerous." He also asked his supporters not to listen to opinion polls. Sensing a likely defeat, he had said that if his party lost the election, he would issue veto after veto and would not stop.
But yesterday, as the results went increasingly against the Republican Party, Trump softened his tone. He also accepted the Democrats' victory in both chambers. Later, in a telephone interview with CBS News, he said, "My message is, congratulations to the Democrats. I look forward to working with you for the good of our country."
Democrats have also been welcomed from outside the United States. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the American people voted against government policies that make people poorer. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the win the "beginning of a new era." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed the victory of Latino candidates in the election. Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, however, said the result of the US midterm election will not bring any change to the Washington-Tehran hostility.
Can the Democrats Handle the Crisis?
As mentioned earlier, the biggest concern among voters ahead of the midterm election was rising living costs. Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Al Jazeera that one of the most important steps the Democrats can take to ease people's concerns is to take the initiative to end the Iran war.
The additional subsidies that were provided under the Affordable Care Act in the United States expired in 2025. As a result, many American citizens now have to pay higher health insurance premiums. The Democrats could take the initiative to restore these subsidies. They could also reverse Trump's decision to cut funding for healthcare programs for low-income people.
In addition, the Democrats could try to withdraw the tariffs Trump imposed. If they gain control of various Senate committees, they will be able to investigate rising prices of essentials, rents, and electricity bills. However, Alex Jacquez, a researcher at the think tank Groundwork Collaborative, believes these efforts may not bring prices down overnight. He said, "Prices are a bit like rockets and feathers. Prices rise at the speed of a rocket, but come down slowly, like a feather."