On a November night that the networks had already begun to read as a verdict, CNN and The New York Times projected that Democrats will take the House of Representatives, ending Republican control of the lower chamber with two years still left in Donald Trump's term. The contest turned on the everyday weight of prices and on a war in Iran, and it reached beyond the House into Senate races in places long thought safe. Nothing is final yet, since this rests on two outlets' calls, but the shape of divided government is now coming into view, and with it the prospect of a presidency increasingly hem
Democrats Projected to Win House, Dealing Trump a Major Setback in Midterms
Washington faces political deadlock for the remainder of the president's term.
Mark
So the headline is that Democrats are projected to take the House. Why does that matter beyond the scoreboard?
Mimi
Because it changes what Trump can do for his last two years. A Democratic majority makes it hard for him to pass legislation, so his remaining domestic priorities are effectively stalled.
Mark
And the election itself, what was it about?
Mimi
The cost of living and the war in Iran dominated it. Those are the two issues the reporting points to.
Luke
I'd flag that this is a projection from CNN and The New York Times. The reporting doesn't give us a seat count or a margin.
Mark
Fair. What about impeachment?
Mimi
The result opens the door to it, along with investigations into the administration's business dealings. That's an opening, not a plan.
Luke
Right. Nobody in this reporting says they will pursue impeachment. It's a possibility the new majority creates.
Mark
Trump said he wasn't on the ballot. Is that a fair reading?
Mimi
It's his explanation, posted on Truth Social, that he would have won in a landslide if he'd been on it. It's a claim, and the reporting doesn't test it.
Luke
And the Senate results are partial. Graham's sister looked set for defeat as of late Tuesday, which isn't the same as a called race.
Mimi
Cooper's win in North Carolina is reported as done, though, in a state where Democrats had been shut out of the Senate for nearly 20 years.
Il Polso
- Networks called the House for Democrats late Tuesday, ending Republican control with two years of Trump's term remaining.
- A campaign shaped by the rising cost of living and the war in Iran pushed voters toward a sharp verdict on the president's agenda.
- Democrats also picked up Senate seats in states that had seemed out of reach, unsettling Republican strongholds.
- Trump blamed his own absence from the ballot, insisting he would have won in a landslide.
- Divided government now threatens legislative deadlock, with impeachment and business-dealing investigations waiting as possibilities.
On a November night that the networks had already begun to read as a verdict, CNN and The New York Times projected that Democrats will take the House of Representatives, ending Republican control of the lower chamber with two years still left in Donald Trump's term. The contest turned on the everyday weight of prices and on a war in Iran, and it reached beyond the House into Senate races in places long thought safe. Nothing is final yet, since this rests on two outlets' calls, but the shape of divided government is now coming into view, and with it the prospect of a presidency increasingly hemmed in by the institution it no longer controls.
By late Tuesday night, CNN and The New York Times both projected that Democrats would take control of the House of Representatives, ending Republican control of the lower chamber and leaving Donald Trump with two years of his presidency still to run. The Telegraph calls it a crushing rejection of his agenda, though it remains a projection built on those two networks' calls rather than a final tally.
The campaign had been dominated by the rising cost of living and the war in Iran. The practical consequences are heavy: with a Democratic House, Mr Trump will struggle to pass legislation, and Washington faces deadlock for the rest of his term. A Democratic majority also makes impeachment and investigations into the administration's business dealings possible, though no one has announced such steps.
Mr Trump answered on Truth Social, blaming his absence from the ballot. "I wasn't on the ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" he wrote.
The losses ran beyond the House. Democrats picked up Senate seats in states the party once could not have imagined losing. In South Carolina, Darlene Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, looked set for defeat, while in North Carolina Roy Cooper, the 69-year-old former governor, won a Senate seat for Democrats after nearly two decades out. Republicans found a bright spot in Florida, where Byron Donalds became the state's first black governor.
Attention now turns to how Democratic leaders wield their new majority, and how the White House copes with a Congress it no longer controls.
By late Tuesday night, the networks had seen enough. CNN and The New York Times both projected that Democrats would take control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, ending Republican control of the lower chamber and leaving Donald Trump with two years of his presidency still to run.
The campaign was dominated by two issues: the rising cost of living and the war in Iran. The Telegraph describes the projected result as a crushing rejection of the president's political agenda. It is a projection, not a final tally, and it rests on the calls made by those two outlets.
The consequences are practical. With a Democratic majority in the House, Mr Trump will struggle to pass legislation, which effectively sinks his remaining domestic priorities. Washington faces political deadlock for the rest of his term. A Democratic House also opens the door to impeachment proceedings and a wave of investigations into the administration's business dealings. The reporting names these as possibilities the result makes available, not as steps anyone has announced.
Mr Trump responded on Truth Social, where he put the Democrats' success down to his own absence from the ballot. "I wasn't on the ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" he wrote.
The House was not the only place Republicans lost ground. Democrats picked up Senate seats in states the party once could not have imagined losing. In South Carolina, Darlene Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, looked set for defeat as of late Tuesday.
In neighbouring North Carolina, Roy Cooper, the 69-year-old former governor, defeated his Republican rival. Democrats have been kept out of the state's Senate seats for nearly 20 years.
Republicans did find something to cheer in Florida. Byron Donalds was elected governor, becoming the state's first black governor.
What to watch now is how Democratic leaders use their new majority: whether they move toward impeachment, how far they take investigations into the administration's business dealings, and how the White House deals with a Congress it no longer controls. The remaining Senate results will also shape how deep the deadlock runs.
Citazioni salienti
I wasn't on the ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!— Donald Trump, on Truth Social
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Politics & Governance