Democrats deal Trump major blow as party takes control of Congress

Democrats have secured control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate in a major electoral setback for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Democrats have so far gained seven seats in the Senate, including victories in Texas, which the party has been trying to turn into a Democratic stronghold, as well as traditionally Republican states Kansas and South Carolina.

The party has also won several governorships and taken multiple House seats that had been redrawn to give Republicans an electoral advantage.

In the months leading up to the midterm elections, Trump held a series of rallies across several states in an effort to strengthen Republican support and encourage voters to turn out.

During the rallies, he repeatedly urged supporters to approach the elections as though he himself was a candidate, telling them to "Pretend I'm on the ballot".

The election results suggest that many American voters took that message seriously, delivering a strong rejection of Trump and the Republican Party he has dominated for more than a decade.

The Trump factor

During his second term in office, Trump has frequently made major decisions without waiting for Congress to approve them, with Republicans controlling both chambers and offering limited resistance.

His administration's policies have included extensive tariffs that triggered trade disputes, the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents in American cities, as well as military involvement in a war with Iran.

However, public dissatisfaction with the administration appears to have grown.

A September poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research found that approximately two-thirds of Americans blamed Trump for the unusually high cost of living.

His approval ratings have also declined throughout his second term, with several recent polls placing his support below 40%.

In an effort to improve Republican performance ahead of the elections, Trump embarked on an intensive campaign tour through battleground states and areas traditionally considered Republican territory.

Republicans hoped his presence would encourage voters who supported him in the 2024 presidential election to participate in the midterms, which generally attract fewer voters.

Despite the losses, Trump rejected the suggestion that the results reflected dissatisfaction with his leadership.

Late on Tuesday night, as election results continued to emerge, he posted on social media that Republicans had lost because he was not on the ballot.

"I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he wrote.

Speaking to Fox News shortly after midnight, Trump also dismissed the suggestion that the election results represented a rejection of his presidency.

"I don't view it as a hit on me," he said.

He defended his administration, claiming it had delivered the greatest two years in presidential history in terms of economic performance and other achievements.

The Democratic victories are expected to significantly change the political landscape when the new Congress takes office in January, giving the party greater power to investigate and challenge the administration.

California Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, who is expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, indicated that his committee would intensify scrutiny of the president and his administration.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, Garcia said he intended to investigate what he called the "Trump Crime Family", corporate corruption, alleged abuses by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, as well as the handling of the Epstein files.

He ended his response to the Democratic victory with a blunt message: "Lawyer up."

Democrats record major gains

The Democrats' Senate victories were spread across several states, including key battlegrounds North Carolina and Maine, as well as Republican-leaning Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

Some of the results marked significant political changes in states where Republicans have traditionally enjoyed strong support.

In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham, who assumed the seat following the death of her brother, longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson defeated a Republican incumbent, ending a Senate career that had lasted almost 30 years and making way for a Democrat to take the seat.

The result also represents a setback for Republicans who have maintained a more independent position from Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Ohio also delivered a major victory for Democrats, with Sherrod Brown defeating Republican Jon Husted to return to the Senate.

Brown previously served as a senator before losing his re-election bid in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno.

Democrats have also taken more than a dozen Republican-held seats in the House of Representatives, including constituencies that Republicans had redrawn to strengthen their chances of retaining control.

With several races still awaiting final results, the number of Democratic gains could increase further.

Democrats needed a net gain of three seats to take control of the House, although the final outcome of some constituencies remained undecided.

The party also secured four governorships previously held by Republicans, winning in Iowa, Texas, Georgia and Ohio.

The victories produced several historic milestones.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa is set to become the state's first Latina governor.

Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms will make history as the country's first Black woman to serve as governor.

Ohio will also have its first female governor, with former state health director Amy Acton defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Republicans, however, managed to retain control of Florida's governor's office, where Congressman Byron Donalds is set to become the state's first Black governor.

Candidate quality also played a role

Although Trump's influence was a major factor in the election campaign, his leadership was not the only possible explanation for the Republican Party's poor performance.

The individual candidates and controversies surrounding their campaigns also appear to have affected the results.

In Texas, Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton entered the election campaign facing several controversies.

These included a federal securities fraud indictment and impeachment proceedings in the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives over allegations that he abused his position to benefit a political donor.

In Ohio, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also faced criticism after an advertisement targeting Democratic candidate Amy Acton attracted widespread negative attention.

The advertisement featured Acton's estranged mother accusing her daughter of lying about allegations that her stepfather had sexually abused her.

Acton has previously spoken publicly about the alleged abuse and criticised her mother for remaining with her stepfather after his arrest.

The advertisement drew criticism even from prominent Republicans, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Ramaswamy eventually withdrew the advertisement following the backlash.

Some election results still outstanding

Although the results have given Democrats a major advantage, the final outcome of several races may take days or even weeks to establish as election officials continue counting ballots.

The experience of Alaska during the 2024 elections demonstrated how lengthy the process can become, with officials taking 15 days to determine the winner of a statewide House race.

The state's closely contested Senate election has also attracted national attention after Trump's Justice Department launched legal action seeking to prevent the certification of results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses.

The department argued that the ranked-choice voting ballot could confuse voters because two candidates named Dan Sullivan appeared on it. One was the Republican incumbent, while the other was an independent candidate.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit last week, although the Justice Department indicated that it intended to appeal the decision.

The legal challenge comes amid months of statements by Trump questioning the integrity of America's electoral system.

In July, the president delivered a televised address in which he alleged, without presenting new evidence, that the country's elections were vulnerable to manipulation and fraud.

He has also continued to falsely claim that he won the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly accused Democrats of cheating.

Despite his previous statements questioning election integrity, Trump told The New York Times on Tuesday night that he was prepared to accept the outcome of the midterm elections.

He said he was "absolutely willing" to accept the results.