Washington. US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war started by Donald Trump for the Republican election debacle. “The reason we lost is the war,” he wrote on the X platform. President Trump himself said this on Tuesday evening. "Everyone knows why we lost. And any discussion about what happens next has to start there."
These are surprisingly clear words after the crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections. The Vice President has always shown himself to be loyal to Trump and his course in the Iran conflict.
The Americans had reckoned with Trump's policies in the election. They gave the Democrats full control of Congress. The results early in the German morning were so clear that even Trump had no choice but to congratulate.
Vance wrote that many voters who voted for him and Trump in the presidential election two years ago were angry. A survey showed that disappointed voters wanted four things in particular: the end of the Iran war, a focus on the cost of living and inflation, putting America first and a change in relations with Israel.
In fact, according to polls, the impact of the Iran war on the population was one of the central issues of the midterms. The USA and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February. The conflict has not yet been resolved to this day, and as a result, energy prices in particular have risen sharply.
Vance expressed understanding for the criticism. "To everyone who is just angry about the outcome: you should be too. Let's use that anger to get back to the job of saving our country," he wrote.
President Trump announced on election night that he would “work with Democrats to make sure things go well for our country.” In a live broadcast by Politico magazine, he referred to the "ultimate power" of his veto right - but at the same time said he didn't want to "just sit there for two years and veto everything."
With their majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Democrats cannot easily reverse Trump's policies - but they can at least significantly disrupt them. On Wednesday, the focus was already cautiously on the 2028 presidential election, in which Trump will no longer be allowed to run.
The Democrats celebrated groundbreaking successes in states where they had not been able to win for decades. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton won the first Senate seat for the Democrats since 1932, and in Texas, James Talarico became the first Democratic senator in almost 40 years. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown won the seat that Vice President Vance held until two years ago. By winning in hard-fought Michigan, left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim in the Senate.
Triumph in both chambers would hardly have been thought possible a few months ago. Former US President Barack Obama called his party's victory on X a "clear message" from the American people.
Midway through the president's term in office, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats were voted on. In the Senate, the Republicans started with a majority of 53 seats. Even before all the races were decided, the Democrats were projected to have 54 seats.
In the House of Representatives, where the Republicans only held a narrow majority, there is a clear lead for the Democrats. Leading Democrat Hakeem Jeffries is now on track to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
The loss of congressional majorities will make it difficult for Trump to govern in the final two years of his term. Democrats will set the tone for legislation starting in January. Candidates for important government positions and judges must be confirmed in the Senate. “You did a good job,” Trump said appreciatively to Fox News.
At the same time, the 80-year-old built up his defensive line. Although he had urged voters to act as if he was on the ballot, he now said: “I wasn’t on the ballot.”
Thanks to their success in Congress, the Democrats can open investigations against the president and his administration. They have long had their sights set on numerous business activities of the Trump family, as well as deadly raids against migrants and the president's controversial construction projects in Washington. “Take lawyers,” wrote Democratic member of the US House of Representatives Robert Garcia on X to the Republicans.
The House of Representatives can also initiate impeachment proceedings against the president. The Senate then decides - but this requires a two-thirds majority. The Democrats had recently shown little ambition to start impeachment proceedings against Trump again. This failed in the Senate in his first term. In order to override a presidential veto, the votes of two-thirds of the members in both chambers of Congress are required. Trump can continue to govern by decree.
