Democrats win Congress as Trump questions midterm results
Democrats won control of both houses in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with Republicans reeling from heavy losses and President Trump disputing the outcome.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
This story is no longer being updated. It reflects reporting up to .
What happened
Democrats won back control of the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms, and Republicans are facing a harsh reckoning over their losses. President Donald Trump has suggested without evidence that voting machines were to blame and asked how the polls could be so wrong. Republicans are set to choose their congressional leadership, with John Thune expected to remain Senate Republican leader.
Why it matters
Democrats also flipped state legislative chambers in several battleground states, which could reshape redistricting.
Timeline
- Nov 9, 6:01 AM ET: Senate Republicans returned to the Capitol furious with Trump, whom they blamed for big losses in Senate and House races.
- Nov 9, 1:33 PM ET: Trump suggested without evidence that voting machines were to blame for the defeat, and Mississippi and Alaska Senate races were still too close to call.
- Nov 10, 5:00 AM ET: Republicans prepared to choose their leadership in Congress, with Reps. Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise vying for the top House spot.
Coverage
- Beyond Midterms: What America’s Political Shift Means for Central Asia (astanatimes.com)
- 2026 midterms: 'The Hispanic shift back toward the Democrats is far from guaranteed in the 2028 presidential election' (Le Monde)
- What happens after a midterm tsunami? Lessons from 1974 and 1994 (Robert A. Strong)
- Even after the midterm rout of Trumpism, the world struggles to trust America (PBS)
- Is Zohran Mamdani’s Coalition Reshaping American Politics? (vitalcitynyc.org)
- Weaponizing Government Power is a Political Loser (interfaithamerica.org)
- Voters’ rebuke of Trump gives Democrats historic opportunity and responsibility (The Hill)
- 17 Eye-Popping Facts About Tuesday’s Midterms (nymag.com)
- Column: The comeuppance of a despot president (Los Angeles Times)
- Diversity, decency and a new south: who were the real winners in the US midterms? (The Guardian)
- PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE: Gen Z, Millennials and a political changing of the guard (indianacitizen.org)
- The New Political Era: Less Party Loyalty, Big Election Swings (WSJ)
- Nick Weston: Conservatives must answer America’s Midterm message (Florida Politics)
- Challenging the politics that brought Donald Trump to power (The Guardian)
- Midterm elections were a rejection of President Trump, not an embrace of Democrats, political analyst says (CBS News)
- ‘Religion in politics’ is loving one’s neighbor, not waging culture war (Seattle Times)
- Democrats retake both chambers of Congress as Trump questions results
- Trump questions midterm results as Democrats take control of Congress
- Trump questions midterm results as Democrats take Congress
- Democrats seize Congress as Trump faces backlash after midterm losses
- JD Vance's future clouded by Republican midterm losses
- Democrats plan probes of Trump aides as they take Congress
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