On November 4, local time, the U.S. midterm elections were almost settled. Judging from the results predicted by many US media, the Democratic Party not only regained control of the House and Senate, but also tore a series of holes in the traditional Republican territory. For U.S. President Trump, he will have to face a Congress controlled by his opponents in the last two years of his second term.
Spending money cannot buy victory
According to CNN, the Democrats flipped multiple Republican Senate seats in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, South Carolina and other states, many of whom were candidates personally endorsed by Trump.
Among them, the results in Texas are the most symbolic. Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and became the first Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate in 38 years.
At the victory rally, Talarico told supporters: "We just took back Texas. We just proved that the politics of division is no match for the politics of love." CNN said this was one of the biggest upsets in the 2026 midterm elections.
The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) pointed out that this Senate election has swung more than 23 percentage points in the direction of the Democratic Party compared with the 2024 presidential election.
Even those who spent money could not stop this defeat.
According to statistics from the US "New York Times", throughout the mid-term election cycle, the total known political donations of American entrepreneur Elon Musk reached 474 million US dollars, making him the largest individual funder in this election. Most of the funds flowed to the "American Political Action Committee" he founded and the "Senate Leadership Fund" that supports the Republican Party. Texas is one of the key investment directions.
Trump concluded after the game: "The Democrats did a good job, really."
On election night, Trump wrote on social media: "I am not on the ballot. If I were, we would win by a landslide!"
On November 3, local time, US President Trump posted on social media, "I am not on the ballot. If I were, we would win by a landslide! Thank you for your attention to this matter." Source: Social media screenshot
On the same night, he changed his tone during an interview with Fox News in the United States. "I think the Democrats did a good job, really," he said. "They fought hard." He also acknowledged that the war in Iran may have had an impact on the election.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said he was "absolutely willing to accept these results" and said he looked forward to working with the Democratic Party.
Some people shout for unity, some are self-deprecating, and some are dissatisfied.
Former US President Barack Obama said on social media on the 4th: "Tonight, the American people sent a clear message - they want politics to unite people, not divide them." According to the US "Capitol Hill" report, Obama had previously campaigned for many Democratic candidates in swing states such as Michigan and Georgia.
On the same day, Musk also made fun of himself through social media. “Looks like my election-meddling space lasers didn’t work this time,” he said, followed by a shrug.
According to US media reports, after the Democrats were predicted to take back the House of Representatives, there were “unconvinced” voices within the White House. A White House official told the media that when the war in Iran ends and gasoline prices drop, anyone who voted for the Democrats today will regret it.
Mr. No is in place
Trump has previously given himself a title: If Congress loses control, he will be called "Mr. No". He reiterated that claim in an interview with CBS on Election Day. He also shared a red hat with the word "VETO" written on it on social media.
US President Trump shared a red hat with the word "VETO" written on it on social media on November 3, local time. Source: Social media screenshots
He explained the specific operations of "Mr. Veto" to Fox News in detail: The Democrats will send "crazy" bills and he will veto them; a few months after the veto, the Democrats will call and ask "how can these things be done", and then "we will cooperate."
An NBC article analyzed that after taking over the House of Representatives, the Democrats will control various committees, obtain subpoena power, and launch supervisory investigations into Trump’s government, family, and business activities. In the past two years, Trump has been testing the boundaries of executive power by dismantling federal agencies, unilaterally imposing tariffs, and canceling appropriations approved by Congress, but the Republican-controlled Congress has mostly failed to stop him.
The article believes that this upcoming political confrontation can be called an "epic showdown" and the separation of powers arrangement in the U.S. Constitution will face a major test.
The British "Guardian" pointed out that after the Democratic Party takes control of Congress, the last two years of Trump's second term will be "significantly different" from the first half.
Author: Zhang Huandi
