WASHINGTON: Democrats seized control of the US Congress on Tuesday, capturing both the Senate and House of Representatives in a stunning nationwide rejection of Donald Trump that is set to put the brakes on the final two years of his presidency.
The Democratic landslide will give the opposition power to block legislation, launch wide-ranging investigations into Trump’s administration and thwart his judicial and senior government appointments.
The results reflected deep anger over the cost of living, tariffs and Trump’s war against Iran, which has sent fuel prices soaring and compounded dissatisfaction with an already deeply unpopular president.
“I’m just so happy. I’m so eager,” said 22-year-old paralegal Michael Diaz in Georgia, celebrating a major victory for rising Democratic star Jon Ossoff in the Senate.
Trump struck a conciliatory note despite his history of questioning election results, telling The New York Times he was “absolutely willing” to accept the outcome.
“I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do,” the 80-year-old told Fox News, in rare praise for his political opponents. “They fought hard.”
But he sought to distance himself from his own party’s poor showing, adding that “I don’t view it as a hit on me”.
He acknowledged that the Iran conflict had contributed to the defeat while defending the military campaign. He also suggested that the rival parties could find common ground on immigration, long one of the most divisive issues of his presidency.
Republican heartland
Democrats flipped seats that had long been held by Republicans, scoring breakthroughs in South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Texas and Maine.
In Maine, former logger Troy Jackson defeated longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, becoming the party’s seventh Senate seat gain from Republicans.
In Kansas, Methodist minister Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the reliably conservative state since 1932. Iowa had not elected a Democratic senator since 2008.
Texas Democrat James Talarico declared he had defeated “Goliath” after winning a Senate seat, while Gina Hinojosa unseated the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, ending decades of Republican rule.
Democrats also held on to key Senate seats of their own, including Ossoff’s in Georgia and an open seat in New Hampshire.
The scale of the victory grew further when Abdul El-Sayed defeated former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the upper chamber of Congress.
“Michigan, we did it!” El-Sayed said in a speech at his election headquarters in Detroit.
El-Sayed won despite a last-minute setback in his campaign when congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to him, came out in support of Rogers at the 11th hour.
The party’s House victory saw gains across Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and New Jersey, including in districts Trump had carried comfortably in 2024.
In one closely watched bellwether race, Democrat J.D. Ford ousted Republican congresswoman Victoria Spartz in Indiana, capturing a district Trump had won by 17 points two years earlier.
Democrats also won Georgia’s governorship, electing former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black woman governor in US history.
Republicans had some consolation in Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds became the state’s first Black governor and Ashley Moody retained a Senate seat, but only after facing surprisingly strong Democratic challenges.
The night was “a big wipeout and a strong repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies”, George Washington University professor Todd Belt told AFP.
Trump on defensive
Democratic control of Congress will allow the party to pursue investigations into the Iran war, immigration enforcement and allegations of corruption, while blocking Trump’s agenda and senior appointments.
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, now expected to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned Republicans on social media: “LAWYER UP.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared Trump’s MAGA movement “on the run from sea to shining sea”.
Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January.
Despite his conciliatory remarks, Trump also insisted on social media that Republicans would have won “IN A LANDSLIDE” if he had been running, although he had repeatedly urged supporters throughout the campaign to “pretend I’m on the ballot”.
He also repeated his threat to use the presidential veto against legislation passed by Democrats, posting a picture on social media of a red baseball cap bearing the single word: “VETO.”
