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US Politics

Democrats win control of both House and Senate in US midterm elections

Democrats take power in January with investigative committees and a say over Senate confirmations, but Trump told a podcast he will veto everything.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington in 2018
The U.S. Capitol in Washington in 2018. Photo: Beethoven, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
19 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from conservative outlets
Liberal11 outletsDemocrats' new powers and limits against TrumpCenter6 outletsWhat the Democratic win means abroadConservative2 outletsDemocratic win offers Ukraine uncertain support
Published 4 min readMoney and daily life
Overview

Democrats won control of both and the in the US elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and they take over in January. The party campaigned on lowering the cost of living, ending the war on Iran, holding President Donald Trump accountable and resisting his immigration crackdown. Most Senate bills need 60 votes to clear a , and Trump can veto what passes.

He told a podcast on Monday, "I'll veto everything." Democrats will gain control of committees that can open investigations, plus power over Senate confirmations. Slate says Democrats are projected to hold 250 or more of the 435 House seats.

Trump told reporters he is "not even a little bit" worried about a third . Semafor reports Trump told the Financial Times he has no immediate plans for a strike on Iran. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie says he intends to try forcing a House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth once the outgoing is back in session.

The Washington Times reports Democrats plan quick January votes to reverse healthcare cuts, end the Iran war and repeal . US-Canada Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the results will not change anything in the short term.

Key figures
  • at least 250 of the 435 seats projected Democratic House seats, per Slate — Slate
  • 60 votes needed for most Senate bills to get past a filibuster — Al Jazeera English
  • about 70% voters who felt Congress was not checking the president enough, in an AP survey — Deutsche Welle
  • At least five DSA-endorsed candidates elected to the House — Deutsche Welle

Three sides of the story

Liberal11 outlets

Democrats' new powers and limits against Trump

Al Jazeera asks whether Democrats can deliver on their promises and answers through experts. Economist Dean Baker says pushing to end the Iran war could ease costs, and Alex Jacquez says committee subpoenas could pressure companies, though "Prices are like rockets and feathers." Laura Blessing of Georgetown's Government Affairs Institute expects investigations to draw the most action from Democrats.

Slate calls the result a "blue tsunami" and says high prices came from Trump's tariffs and his war on Iran. It points to the 1973 Vietnam funding cutoff as a model for Iran, says Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget is "dead on arrival," and turns to Hegseth's future, citing Vance's post that "The reason we lost is the war." Semafor says the defeat sharply limits Trump's domestic power and makes a foreign policy focus more likely, with Europe fearing a frustrated president.

The New York Times describes commentators abroad wondering what the losses mean for oil prices, the Iran war and the end of the Trump era.

Center6 outlets

What the Democratic win means abroad

Deutsche Welle gives five takeaways, opening with "US democracy is alive and well," and cites an AP survey in which about 70% of voters felt Congress was not doing enough to check the president. It notes a Democratic Senate win in Kansas, the first since 1932, and at least five DSA-endorsed House winners, and expects a Republican fight over the party's future. BBC News frames the result through Canada.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says "I was doing cartwheels down the street," while LeBlanc says the results change nothing in the short term. BBC adds that Trump's tariffs were largely set by executive order and that he touted his veto power on Fox News. Newsweek asks what a Democratic Congress would mean for Ukraine, quoting Matthew Arnold of LSE IDEAS that Trump's team has "the prerogative to set U.S. policy toward Ukraine."

The Wall Street Journal's news report sets out how the new House and Senate majorities could affect Trump's main policies, from Iran to trade.

Conservative2 outlets

Democratic win offers Ukraine uncertain support

The Washington Examiner leads with Ukraine. The Democrats' victory "might seem like a counterbalance" to Trump's animosity toward Kyiv, it writes, but renewed US support is not necessarily coming. Ostap Yarysh of Razom for Ukraine says he is troubled that fewer of the "leaders, the champions" of Ukraine support will remain in the next Congress.

The Examiner itself reports that Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the House Ukraine Caucus, lost his race, Rep. Don Bacon stepped down, and Steny Hoyer, Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin have retired. It also quotes Almut Möller of the European Policy Center, who wrote in a post-election report that "A wounded president is likely to lash out at home." The Washington Times reports that the Democrats' January agenda includes early votes to repeal the tariffs, end the Iran war and undo Republican healthcare cuts.

Its Inside the Ring column says Democrats are expected to cut or cancel many Trump administration defense programs and policies, among the most immediate effects of the takeover.

Money and daily life

Democrats do not take control until January. Economist Dean Baker told Al Jazeera they could try to restore enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expired in 2025, by attaching them to government spending bills. Alex Jacquez of Groundwork Collaborative said prices "come down like feathers" after they rise. BBC reports tariff relief for Canada is unlikely any time soon.

All sources: 30 articles from 19 outlets

Liberal (18)

Center (7)

Conservative (5)

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41 news outlets reported this · Liberal outlets only
1 min
House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

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Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

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Filibuster

A Senate rule: to end debate on most bills and hold a vote, 60 of the 100 senators must agree. This lets a minority block legislation.

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Impeachment

A formal accusation against a top official, up to the president, voted by the House of Representatives. Only the Senate can then remove the official, with two-thirds of the votes.

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Congress

The US parliament: the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill becomes law when both pass it and the president signs it.

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GOP

“Grand Old Party”: a nickname for the Republican Party, used since the 1870s. GOP and Republican mean the same thing.

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Tariff

A tax on imported goods, paid at the border by the importer, who usually passes some or all of it into prices. Governments use tariffs to protect their producers or to press the other side in a trade dispute.

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