US midterms leave Donald Trump humiliated as Democrats seize control of Congress, opening path to investigations

A sharp setback for Trump

The midterm results dealt Trump a major political blow, with Democrats taking control of Congress. The defeat put his second term under pressure and left Republicans debating the causes of the rout.

Trump said he was not on the ballot and claimed Republicans would have won by a wide margin if he had been. In a call to Fox News, he rejected the idea that the results were a personal rebuke and praised his administration’s record.

Exit polls by SSRS found that half of voters nationwide viewed the midterms as a chance to rebuke the president. Three-quarters said they were angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

Blame and veto threats

Vance attributed the outcome to the Iran war and said an honest discussion of the conflict was needed to decide what came next. Pressure also fell on Secretary of State for War Pete Hegseth, who was expected to face scrutiny after the defeat.

Trump blamed Republican candidates in a post on Truth Social. He also shared an image of a red cap bearing the word “Veto,” signaling his readiness to block legislation.

The president was unusually quiet as results came in. A source close to him told the Daily Mail that he watched Fox News in the dark at the White House residence and said little.

Historic wins across states

Democrat Gina Hinojosa is set to become Texas’s first Latina governor, while Xavier Becerra is set to become California’s first Latino governor. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

In Kansas, megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat there since the Great Depression. Sherrod Brown won in Ohio, taking a seat JD Vance held two years earlier.

Democrats prepare to investigate

Once seated in January, Democrats are expected to investigate Trump’s administration, family and allies. They are also expected to seek concessions on major legislation.