US Midterms: Implications of democrats’ victory
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has acknowledged the impact of the United States’ attack on Iran and a sharp rise in gasoline prices on stunning Republican losses in midterm elections, but said the move was justified and denied responsibility for the rout.
The Democrats won both the US Senate and House of Representatives, taking control of Congress for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency. The tally showed that Democrats grabbed 54 and 234 seats at press time to win the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.
Historic firsts
The election also delivered some historic firsts with the Democrats flipping at least seven Senate seats in ruby-red states and battlegrounds like Kansas, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. They held on to battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan.
In the the House, Democrats would start the year with what would be its largest majority in nearly two decades, NBC News projects. Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, some that voted for Trump by double digits in 2024.
In the gubernatorial races, Democrats also flipped GOP-held offices: Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio, Rob Sand in Iowa, Gina Hinojosa in Texas and Aaron Ford in Nevada.
Specifically, David Crowley, Democrat, has become the first Black governor in U.S history, Abdul El-Sayed becomes the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. Senate, James Talarico becomes the first Democrat elected in Texas since 1988, Xavier Becerra becomes the first Latino elected governor in California history, Gina Hinojosa becomes the first Latina elected governor in Texas history, while Deb Haaland becomes the first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. History.
I’m willing to accept results, work with Democrats – Trump
Reacting to the election defeat, Trump said he was willing to accept the results of the midterm elections and work with Democrats as they made gains across the country.
“We’ll, you know, look forward to working with them,” he told The New York Times shortly before 10:30 p.m. while watching results come in. “We’ll probably work something out.”
Trump said Democrats had reached out to him about working together and that he thought they could find common ground on the debt ceiling. He added that he has “total veto power, so they have to come to us.”
In a preview of his likely governing style over the next two years, Trump also posted a picture of his trademark red cap emblazoned with the word “veto” to convey his determination to block legislation carried by the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress.
Iran war impact
Blaming Iran war, Trump said: “We actually have the greatest economy, but because of the gasoline price, people don’t see it as much as they would have without it. And the gasoline was caused by Iran,” he told Fox News in a televised phone interview late on Tuesday.
“People agree with what I’m doing on Iran, but they really probably weren’t willing to do the short-term consequence of paying more for gasoline. I understand that. I don’t agree with it.”
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal about the Republican defeats, Trump said about the Iran war: “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”
Vance also fingers Iran war
Vice President JD Vance, a likely 2028 presidential candidate and heir apparent to Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, appeared to diverge from Trump’s thinking on the wisdom of the conflict.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he wrote. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so.”
“Everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Republican strategist, James Davis, said the war contributed to the setbacks for the party but also to a lack of clear messaging.
“The war was definitely part of it and has helped shift the electorate toward Democrats. But the biggest issue was not the war itself, but the clear articulation of a strategy that gives people confidence in that strategy,” Davis told Al Jazeera.
The economic fallout from the conflict, including higher energy and especially diesel costs, had affected all sectors of the economy and intensified Americans’ concerns about affordability, he added.
Blaming candidates
Democratic leader vows to end Iran war, investigate Trump
Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, has vowed that the Democrats will end the war in Iran through the “power of the purse” next year when they take control of the Senate.
“We are going to end the war. We’ve got some Republicans who have joined us in ending the war and the Founding Fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways of deterring a president who does war without the consent of the American people,” Schumer said at a Capitol Hill news conference, a day after Democrats won the majority in the chamber.
“The American people don’t know the heck we are fighting for in Iran. He’s never made it clear; he changes his mind day to day and minute to minute, ” he added.
Schumer said the election, in which Democrats currently have a 54-44 edge over Republicans with two seats not called, created a “generational remake of the Senate.” But he acknowledged Democrats will have to prove to voters they will address their concerns about high prices and corruption. “Many of the folks who voted for us are skeptical,” he said.
What loss means for Trump’s remaining 2 years
With the massive loss, Trump could face impeachment threats as the House also has the power to impeach a president – the first step of Congress’ process to remove an official from office.
The Republican Party would be looking nervously towards the 2028 election. For the first time since 2016, there is likely to be a serious debate within the party about whether to move on from the aggressive nationalism and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Democrats, meanwhile, face their own questions about how to capitalise on their victories.
Besides, Committees in both the US Senate and House have investigative powers, which they could use to delve into alleged conflicts of interest and other actions by the president and those close to him.
The Senate also has the power to confirm or block the president’s cabinet and judicial nominations.
Foreign policy futures
But for the rest of the world, change might not come so quickly. Despite the fact that his party has suffered this electoral setback, Trump remains president until 2028. And because despite its constitutional role in declaring war and ratifying treaties, Congress tends to be less involved in foreign policy, there is still a lot that he can do with that power.
Indeed, US presidents whose parties perform badly in midterm elections often become more active in foreign policy than they had previously. With the chance of passing a significant domestic agenda mostly beyond their reach, they have more time on their hands to think about America’s relations with the rest of the world. The same is likely to be true of Trump.
The fact that the midterms are over also means that Trump no longer has to be so careful about the political consequences of his actions. As the midterm elections got closer, the president has backed down from major military confrontation with Iran and sought a truce in his tariff wars. Now, with political constraints lifted, he could become more erratic and unpredictable.
Vanguard News
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