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Democrats seize both congressional chambers as Trump allies voice dismay
Developing story first seen 5 hours ago
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, prompting dismay among prominent Trump supporters and raising questions about the political impact of his presidency. Ben Shapiro said Republicans were “just getting wiped out”, arguing that voters’ dissatisfaction with Trump, rather than candidate quality alone, was behind Democratic gains.
Trump blamed the Republican candidates and said the party would have won by a landslide if he had been on the ballot. He also acknowledged that higher petrol prices linked to the Iran conflict may have cost votes, though he defended his policy. Other allies reacted with anger or despair, while a White House official remained defiant and argued the results were not a referendum on the administration.
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In short
- Democrats won control of the House and Senate.
- Ben Shapiro blamed voter dissatisfaction with Trump.
- Trump cited candidates and petrol costs as factors.
How this story developed
- 18 minutes ago Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, prompting dismay among prominent Trump supporters and raising questions about the political impact of his presidency.
- New York Post Blue tsunami delivers Dems both chambers of Congress in stunning defeat for GOP and Trump’s handpicked candidates
- Le Monde Democrats flip both House and Senate in stunning rebuke for Trump
- Daily Mail Democrats seize both congressional chambers as Trump allies voice dismay
- Daily Mail Trump vows vetoes after Democrats seize both chambers of Congress
Full account
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, overturning Republican advantages in a series of races. The gains included Senate victories in states such as Texas and Kansas, long considered safely Republican, alongside substantial wins in House contests. The final margins were still uncertain as counting continued, including in Alaska’s ranked-choice Senate race.
The result puts the party in a position to obstruct President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and intensify scrutiny of his administration during the final two years of his term. It is the first midterm since 2006 in which the party out of power has captured both chambers. Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries hailed the outcome, with Jeffries declaring that “America is back” and Schumer saying relief was on the way.
Higher prices, particularly for fuel, emerged as a prominent explanation for the Republican losses. An Associated Press exit poll cited in one report found that 62 per cent of voters blamed Trump’s policies for higher prices, while 71 per cent wanted Congress to do more to check the president. Trump acknowledged that the Iran conflict and its effects on energy costs may have hurt his party, though he defended his approach and said voters had not wanted to bear the short-term cost of more expensive petrol.
Trump also argued that his absence from the ballot mattered, posting that he would have won by a landslide if he had been a candidate. His allies offered other explanations: the White House pointed to candidate quality, while some supporters focused on the Iran war and its economic consequences. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro described Republicans as being “wiped out” and attributed the result to broad dissatisfaction with Trump. Laura Loomer voiced alarm, while Elon Musk joked that his supposed election-interfering “space lasers” had failed. Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News that Democrats had fought hard and said he would work across party lines.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report centres on the reactions of Trump-aligned figures and gives particular attention to Shapiro, Loomer and Musk. The second focuses more on the scale and political consequences of the Democratic gains, citing exit-poll findings, Senate and House races, and the prospect of investigations and blocked appointments.
The second report says Trump pledged to work across the aisle and described the Democrats as having fought hard. The first emphasises his defence of the Iran policy and his claim that higher petrol costs were an unwelcome short-term consequence. Both report his comments about fuel prices and his contention that he was not on the ballot.
The third supplied item is an access-block notice from Le Monde rather than a report of the election, so it provides no account to compare.
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: flip, house, senate, rebuke
Right-leaning outlets 3
- Democrats seize both congressional chambers as Trump allies voice dismayDaily Mail
- Blue tsunami delivers Dems both chambers of Congress in stunning defeat for GOP and Trump’s handpicked candidatesNew York Post
- Trump vows vetoes after Democrats seize both chambers of CongressDaily Mail
Only here: chambers, seize, congress, congressional, allies
Every side used: democrats, stunning, trump
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The results can reasonably be read as a warning that voters were dissatisfied with Trump’s presidency, especially if his policies or the Iran conflict’s effect on petrol prices shaped their choices. Democratic gains may therefore reflect a broader judgement about the administration, rather than simply the strengths or weaknesses of individual Republican candidates.
The case against
The election results do not by themselves establish that voters were rejecting Trump or his policies: candidate quality and local contests may have played a substantial part. Trump’s argument that Republicans might have done better with him on the ballot, and the White House official’s view that the outcome was not a referendum on the administration, point to other plausible explanations for the losses.
Explained simply
Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives, where seats are allocated by population, and the Senate, where each state elects two senators. Midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term, giving voters a chance to change which party controls Congress.
Congress passes federal laws and oversees the government, so control of its chambers can affect a president’s ability to advance policies and can bring more scrutiny of the administration. Donald Trump is the Republican president; Democrats and Republicans are the two main US political parties, and Trump’s supporters include prominent commentators and officials.
Coverage · 4 sources
Bias meters
From 4 rated sources.
- Daily MailRightDemocrats seize both congressional chambers as Trump allies voice dismay
- New York PostRightBlue tsunami delivers Dems both chambers of Congress in stunning defeat for GOP and Trump’s handpicked candidates
- Le MondeLeftDemocrats flip both House and Senate in stunning rebuke for Trump
- Daily MailRightTrump vows vetoes after Democrats seize both chambers of Congress
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Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “MAGA goes into meltdown over humiliating midterms defeat as Ben Shapiro declares ‘we’re just getting wiped out’ while Trump launches bitter blame game”.