Democrats have secured control of the House of Representatives and Senate in the US midterm elections, marking a historic victory over President Donald Trump's Republicans, CNN reports. The victory was also achieved in traditionally Republican states, such as Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Ohio and Iowa. Democrats managed to overturn races in territories where the party had not won in decades.
According to CNN, dissatisfaction with Trump's policies, inflation, trade tariffs and the war with Iran influenced the election result. Polls show that over 60% of voters disapprove of the president's job performance, while two-thirds believe that his policies have worsened the economy. Taking control of both chambers gives Democrats the ability to block part of Trump's agenda, launch congressional investigations and prevent the confirmation of his judicial appointments. However, presidential vetoes and voting rules in the Senate could limit the passage of new laws.
After the result, Trump declared that he was ready to accept defeat and cooperate with Democrats. In an interview with The New York Times, he attributed the Republican defeat to the absence of his name on the ballot, while defending the decision to go to war with Iran. The vote count is ongoing and the final size of the Democratic majority in Congress has yet to be determined.
