US midterms: Democrats win US Congress, threaten Trump’s final two years

Democrats have taken control of both chambers of the United States Congress in a sweeping midterm election victory that threatens to derail President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and expose his administration to extensive investigations.

The opposition party’s capture of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday followed growing public dissatisfaction with rising living costs, fuel prices and Trump’s trade tariffs, as well as his military campaign against Iran.

The results will enable Democrats to block legislation, challenge senior government appointments and investigate the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict, immigration enforcement and alleged corruption.

The defeat marked a significant setback for Trump, who has faced mounting criticism over the economic consequences of his policies and the war against Iran.

Despite the Republican Party’s losses, the 80-year-old president said he was willing to accept the election results and praised the Democrats for their campaign.

“I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do,” Trump told Fox News. “They fought hard.”

He also told The New York Times that he was “absolutely willing” to accept the outcome.

However, Trump sought to distance himself from the Republican defeat, insisting that he did not consider it a personal setback.

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

The president acknowledged that the Iran conflict had contributed to the party’s poor performance but defended the military campaign. He also suggested that Republicans and Democrats could find common ground on immigration, an issue that has remained divisive throughout his presidency.

The Democratic victory extended into traditionally Republican strongholds, with the party securing its seventh Senate seat from Republicans after former logger Troy Jackson defeated longtime Maine senator Susan Collins.

Earlier victories in Kansas and Iowa had already secured the Senate majority for Democrats, following breakthroughs in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Ohio.

In Kansas, Methodist minister Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the conservative state since 1932, while Iowa elected a Democratic senator for the first time since 2008.

Texas Democrat James Talarico also declared victory in his Senate race, describing the result as a defeat of “Goliath”.

The party recorded another major breakthrough in Texas as Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, ending decades of Republican rule in the state.

Democrats also retained key Senate seats, including that of Jon Ossoff in Georgia, while securing an open seat in New Hampshire.

The party’s gains in the House of Representatives extended across Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina and New Jersey, including constituencies that Trump had won comfortably in the 2024 presidential election.

In Indiana, Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican congresswoman Victoria Spartz in a closely watched race in a district Trump had carried by 17 percentage points two years earlier.

Democrats also won Georgia’s governorship, with former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms making history as the first Black woman elected governor in the United States.

Republicans secured victories in Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds became the state’s first Black governor, while Ashley Moody retained her Senate seat despite strong Democratic challenges.

George Washington University professor Todd Belt described the outcome as “a big wipeout and a strong repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies”.

The Democratic victory has also raised the prospect of extensive congressional scrutiny of the president’s administration.

Robert Garcia, who is expected to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned Republicans on social media to prepare for investigations, posting: “LAWYER UP.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump’s political movement was losing ground across the country.

“His MAGA movement is on the run from sea to shining sea,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January.

Trump, however, continued to insist that Republicans would have won decisively if he had been on the ballot, despite repeatedly urging supporters during the campaign to “pretend I'm on the ballot”.

The president also threatened to veto legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress, posting a picture of a red baseball cap bearing the word “VETO” on social media.