US Midterms: Heavy Defeat for Donald Trump, Democrats Regain Control of Congress

The American midterm elections turned in favor of the Democrats. Following the vote on Tuesday, November 3, the opposition party regained the House of Representatives and the Senate, delivering a serious setback to Donald Trump. Two years after his return to the White House, the Republican president will now have to work with a Congress controlled by his political opponents for the second half of his term.

The Democratic wave surpassed traditionally contested states. In the Senate, the party won several seats previously held by Republicans, notably in Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These results were particularly notable in territories that had strongly supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. In the House of Representatives, the Democrats also flipped several Republican districts. The gubernatorial elections confirmed this trend, with Democratic victories notably in Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and Iowa.

Donald Trump’s power now limited by Congress

This outcome profoundly changes the balance of power in Washington. With a Democratic majority in both chambers, Donald Trump loses the ability to pass his main legislative reforms relying solely on Republican lawmakers. His opponents will also be able to strengthen parliamentary investigations into his administration’s actions and exert greater influence on budget negotiations. In the House of Representatives, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries could become the first African American to preside over this institution, pending the vote of his colleagues during the new Congress’s installation in January. The American president will nevertheless retain his executive prerogatives, as well as the ability to veto bills passed by parliamentarians.

The issue of purchasing power heavily influenced the vote. According to surveys conducted among voters, the cost of living, economic concerns, the war in Iran, and controversies surrounding the Trump administration contributed to mobilization against the Republicans. However, the American president refuses to see these results as a personal condemnation. In an interview with Fox News, he acknowledged that the Democrats ran a good campaign, while attributing the defeats to his candidates rather than his own policies. Nevertheless, the results represent a major political shift: after two years of Republican control in Washington, Donald Trump begins the second half of his term with a parliamentary opposition now capable of obstructing much of his agenda.