What’s next after Trump’s massive miscalculation triggers historic defeat

Democrats swept the midterm elections, winning both the House and the Senate in what CNN describes as one of the most sweeping rebukes of a sitting president in modern times. The result ends unified Republican control in Washington and restores a check on President Donald Trump. Democrats also picked up a number of governorships. The margin was wide enough that the administration's anticipated effort to contest the outcome never took shape.

CNN attributes the loss largely to Trump casting the vote as a referendum on himself while his approval ratings were poor. Its polling found clear majorities opposed to his war with Iran, his economy and his immigration crackdowns, and fuel prices had climbed. Candidates he backed fared badly, among them Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham. Democrat James Talarico won a Texas Senate seat, and Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott.

Trump, sounding subdued, told Politico he would work with Democrats. On Truth Social he wrote that he had not been on the ballot, though days earlier he had told an Iowa crowd that he effectively was. Hakeem Jeffries is positioned to become House speaker.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →