On the morning after the 2022 American midterms, a President who had braced for a repudiation chose to call the result a good day for democracy, and in doing so he named something that the nation's own anxious forecasts had quietly assumed would never come to pass. The expected red wave, that rush of voters that history and polling had promised Republicans, dissolved into a narrow win that would hand them the House by only a handful of seats. For a party that had leaned on inflation and on doubts about the last presidential count, the gap between expectation and outcome became its own kind of
Biden Says 'Giant Red Wave Didn't Happen' as Midterm Fight for Congress Stays Tight
While the press and pundits predicted a giant red wave, it didn't happen.
Mark
Biden is calling this a good day. Isn't a likely loss of the House still a loss?
Mimi
By the usual measure, yes. Republicans appear on track to retake the House. But the usual measure was a big sweep, and the margin looks like a handful of seats.
Mark
McCarthy once predicted 60 seats. Does that gap matter?
Mimi
It does. He still says the House is coming back, but a prediction that large falling short changes how strong his position looks as he seeks the speakership.
Luke
Careful, though. The House count was still ongoing in places. "A handful of seats" is where things appear to be heading, not a final number.
Mark
What about Biden's claim of fewer lost seats than any Democratic president's first midterm in 40 years?
Luke
That's his own claim, from a tweet, and he framed it with the count unfinished. It's worth checking against the final tally.
Mimi
Trump made a claim of his own too: 219 wins and 16 losses for his endorsed candidates.
Luke
Also self-reported. And it doesn't tell us how many of those were safe races. The source only says several high-profile candidates lost.
Mark
And DeSantis?
Mimi
He won big in Florida, and he's Trump's main rival for the 2024 nomination, which makes that result matter beyond the state.
Il Polso
- Republicans expected a sweeping red wave and instead found their House gains shrinking to a margin of only a few seats.
- Trump's endorsement record, boasting 219 wins against 16 losses, masked a night of high-profile defeats that undercut his momentum toward 2024.
- Ron DeSantis's commanding victory in Florida gave him a rival's advantage just as Trump was trying to reassert his grip on the party.
- Kevin McCarthy projects confidence about taking the speaker's gavel, yet a razor-thin majority leaves his path fragile.
- Biden is pointing to a historically modest loss for a first-term Democratic president, even as he weighs a second campaign.
On the morning after the 2022 American midterms, a President who had braced for a repudiation chose to call the result a good day for democracy, and in doing so he named something that the nation's own anxious forecasts had quietly assumed would never come to pass. The expected red wave, that rush of voters that history and polling had promised Republicans, dissolved into a narrow win that would hand them the House by only a handful of seats. For a party that had leaned on inflation and on doubts about the last presidential count, the gap between expectation and outcome became its own kind of verdict. What lies ahead is a thin majority, a contest for the speakership, and quiet maneuvering by two men who each hope to inherit the party's future.
President Joe Biden faced reporters at the White House the morning after the midterms and offered a view that few in his opposition had expected. He called it a good day for democracy, and he pointed out that the red wave so many had predicted never arrived.
The odds had seemed stacked for Republicans. The party in the White House usually loses ground in a midterm, and Republicans had gone into the vote hoping for a decisive sweep, driven by anger over stubbornly high inflation and by many candidates who repeated unfounded claims about Biden's 2020 victory. As the count continued, the shape of the result was clear: Republicans were set to reclaim the 435-seat House, but only by a handful of seats. Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to become speaker, said his party would take the chamber, though it fell well short of the 60 seats he had once forecast.
For Donald Trump, the night brought little comfort. He had hoped a strong showing would carry him toward another presidential run, yet several of his most visible endorsed candidates lost. He called the outcome disappointing in some respects but insisted it was a big win for him, citing 219 wins and 16 losses among his picks.
In Florida, Ron DeSantis, Trump's leading rival for the 2024 nomination, won easily and kept his governor's seat, deepening the sense that Trump's influence had limits.
What comes next is a close look at the final House count, which will show just how slim the Republican majority is, and whether McCarthy can convert it into the speakership. The contrast between Trump's mixed record and DeSantis's strong showing is already shaping the early contest for the party's 2024 nomination.
President Joe Biden stood before reporters at the White House the morning after the midterm elections and described the result in terms few Republicans had expected to hear from him. It was, he said, a good day for democracy and a good day for America. The press and the pundits, he added, had been predicting a giant red wave, and it had not happened.
History had favored the other outcome. The party holding the White House almost always loses ground in a midterm, and Republicans had gone into the vote hoping for a major sweep. Their campaign leaned heavily on stubbornly high inflation, and many candidates also backed unfounded claims about the legitimacy of Biden's defeat of Donald Trump two years earlier.
The count was still underway in some places, but the shape of the result was already visible. Republicans appeared to be on track to win back the 435-member House of Representatives for the first time since 2018, though only by a handful of seats. Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, who hopes to become the chamber's next speaker, said it was clear his party would take the House back. He put on a brave face while doing so: the gain fell well short of the 60 seats he had once predicted.
Biden made his own argument about the numbers in a tweet. With some counting unfinished, he wrote that his party had lost fewer House seats than any Democratic president's first midterm in at least 40 years. The president was also reported to be leaning toward seeking a second term in 2024, though he said he would make that decision early next year.
The night was underwhelming for Trump as well. He had counted on a strong Republican showing to build momentum for another run at the White House, and several of his high-profile candidates lost. Trump acknowledged that in certain ways the election was somewhat disappointing, but said that from his personal standpoint it was a very big victory. He pointed to the candidates he had endorsed, claiming 219 wins and 16 losses.
His troubles were compounded in Florida, where Ron DeSantis, Trump's main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, won a thumping victory to remain governor.
What to watch now is the final House tally, which will determine just how thin the Republican majority is, and whether McCarthy can turn that margin into the speakership. Beyond that, the contrast between Trump's endorsement record and DeSantis's win in Florida sets up the early positioning for the 2024 nomination.
Citazioni salienti
While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave, it didn't happen.— President Joe Biden, White House news conference
It is clear that we are going to take the House back.— Kevin McCarthy, top House Republican
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Politics & Governance