Local time on November 4th, the counting of votes for the U.S. mid-term elections was still ongoing, but the overall outcome had been determined.
According to predictions by US media and election analysts, the Democratic Party is expected to achieve an overwhelming historical victory. It is anticipated that they will reclaim both the House of Representatives and the Senate from the Republicans.
American media generally point out that in this election, Democrats took advantage of the unprecedented low approval ratings of US President Trump to win a significant victory. During the last two years of Trump’s administration, they gained powerful leverage to restrict this previously unrestrained president and his government.
Predictions show that Democrats have swept away the traditional Republican voting bases, and have even won constituencies that had never voted for Democrats in decades.
In the Senate, the Democrats won 53 seats, including seats in Texas (where no Democratic senators have been elected since 1988), and even made a breakthrough in Kansas (where no Democratic senators have been elected since 1932). The Republicans won 42 seats. In the House of Representatives, the Democrats won as many as 227 seats, far exceeding the Republicans' 134 seats.
CNN Statistics
American media pointed out that the change in congressional control represents voters’ “shocking, historic denial” of Trump’s power. However, Trump himself is not convinced, blaming the defeat on Republican candidates and insisting that he had been “extremely successful” during the first two years of his tenure.
After the tide had turned in favor of the Democrats, in the early hours of the 4th, Trump, who was watching the election results live at the White House, gave an interview congratulating Democrats on their series of victories.
Democrats have done a good job, they have been struggling hard. Trump simultaneously claimed that the midterms were not a nationwide referendum against him; "I don't think this is an attack on me. We have had the most glorious two years of presidential term."
Several American media analysts believe that this result is a “referendum” on the performance of the Trump administration, reflecting the deep dissatisfaction of American voters towards high prices, the war with Iran, and government corruption.
Trump also said that he “definitely wants” to accept the results of the midterm elections and is prepared to work with Democrats. When answering a question, he said, “We look forward to working with them. We may be able to find a solution.”
On the 2nd, Trump will give a speech at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of the midterm elections. Visual China
The New York Times reports that Trump sounded depressed during a brief conversation.
The report also mentioned that before making those remarks, Trump gathered with several senior advisors, including Vice President Wilson, Secretary of State Rubio, Attorney General Brinkley, and Commerce Secretary Luthin, in the White House East Room to watch the election results.
Some witnesses described that the atmosphere inside the white palace was 'oppressive' and 'like a funeral'.
Several candidates supported by Trump have failed in the elections. However, he attributed the failures to the candidates themselves, rather than to policies that his voters did not favor, such as economic policies and the war with Iran.
He stated that he has no regrets about supporting South Carolina Republican Senator Darlene Graham and Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, even though both candidates failed in their attempts to run for senator.
Trump also insisted that, despite the severe defeat suffered by the Republican Party, he considered the two years he was in office “the most successful two years among all previous presidents”.
He believes that the Republican Party has suffered losses because he did not appear on the ballots.
I did not run for office, and because I did not run for office, we were unable to mobilize enough people to vote, he explained. He indicated that he regretted the decision to launch a war against Iran, stating “if I were to do it again, I would still do it.” However, he acknowledged that voters were dissatisfied with gasoline prices.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party as a whole suddenly became confused.
CNN reported that even before the election results were announced, there was mutual blame and hindsight among Republicans, as Republican officials had already predicted that the election results would be disappointing. According to several of Trump’s assistants and advisors, party officials, and campaign staff members, the internal division within the Republican Party is likely to intensify in the future. The outcome of this election fell far short of their low expectations.
"To tell the truth, this matter can only be blamed on one person." said Barrett Maesen, Republican strategist of Arizona. "If there hadn't been a war (the Iran War) then the election results would have been completely different. And that war was started by only one person."
On the evening of the 3rd, a White House official dismissed any claims that Trump was responsible for the Republican Party’s defeat, stating that it was the candidate’s own fault. The official said, “Trump has done better at promoting himself as a candidate than many candidates themselves.”
As soon as Trump took office, he acted like a reckless destroyer. With the acquiescence of the Republican-controlled Congress and numerous agencies, he quickly seized executive power. Eventually, the Republicans suffered a crushing defeat in the midterm elections.
The Republican Party lost, but why was the defeat so severe?
Various analyses suggest that the main reasons seem to be inflation, tariff policies, and voters' concerns about Trump's behavior and his personal wealth accumulation.
Facing an unfavorable situation nationwide and a demoralized Democratic Party, Trump dragged the country into a unpopular war, without a clear strategy for withdrawal. As a result, gasoline prices soared, exacerbating inflation and once again causing voters to become anxious about living costs.
CNN's voter poll shows that over six in ten voters do not approve of Trump, and more than half of them strongly disapprove of him. Two-thirds of respondents said his policies worsened the economic situation.
Preliminary data shows that the voter turnout among Republicans also dropped significantly. On the day of the election, there were many fewer Republican supporters present compared to four years ago.
Despite Trump's repeated claims of achieving a "complete and total victory," the reality is that the Iran War has enveloped the entire midterm election cycle.
In the months leading up to the election, negotiations between the United States and Iran seemed distant, and the prospects for the Republican Party further dimmed. War dominated political discussions and Trump’s own agenda. The original plan to have Trump conduct continuous campaign speeches to promote his achievements was postponed.
"Blue Wave" sweeping across America but Democrats' majority seats in both chambers remain pending final vote tallies.
In the Senate elections, several key states have seen red turn blue, according to The Associated Press' mapping.
Control of both the House and the Senate will give the Democrats more power, allowing them to investigate any issues they deem appropriate. Additionally, the Democrats can prevent Trump from making judicial nominations, including in cases where there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court.
Democrats are ready to take power on Capitol Hill. They desire to thwart Trump's agenda and investigate the scandals that occurred during his presidency.
"American people have already expressed their will in every corner of the nation," said Hakim Jeffries, leader of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives. "This is a revolution election and as Democrats in the House, we understand that we need to bring about earth-shattering change. The current system has been problematic."
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also told reporters, “Americans voted for change.” The makeup of the Senate has undergone a “generational reshaping.” He also said, “I want to say five words to the American people—relief is coming.”
However, Trump's presidential veto power, as well as the threshold of 60 votes required for most Senate bills to pass, mean that it is highly unlikely they will be able to pass most of the agenda they favor.
Before the midterm elections voting ends, on the 3rd local time, Trump said: "I have the final power, which is called the 'veto power'."
In his interview at that time, he said that regardless of the election results or the composition of Congress, he was confident in implementing his policy agenda over the next two years. If necessary, he might use his presidential veto power to force the Democrats into reaching a bipartisan agreement with them.
Analysis suggests that the Democratic control of Congress will profoundly change the last two years of Trump’s presidency and may weaken his ability to implement his agenda. However, Trump has promised to use the veto power to block the Democratic agenda, indicating that a deadlock may arise between the White House and Congress in the future.
