Democrats secured a series of historic victories in the US midterm elections, dealing President Donald Trump's Republican party a national collapse. Opposition candidates won in Texas and South Carolina, states the party had not won for decades and where Trump won by double digits two years ago.
The results exceeded even the most optimistic predictions of a "blue tsunami," with one Democrat source saying: "It's beyond my wildest hopes."
Trump reacts to defeat
Many feared Trump would try to subvert or deny the result, but he appeared to recognise such a move would be futile with a defeat on this scale. "I wasn't on the Ballot," Trump posted on Truth Social. "And if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!"
In every speech before the election, Trump urged voters to pretend he was on the ballot, believing that would boost turnout for Republicans despite his historically bad approval ratings. Speaking to Fox News late on election night, Trump congratulated the Democrats. "They did a good job. They've been looking for this one for 11-years and they've finally got it. But I don't view it as a hit on me, we've had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency."
He admitted to being "a little bit surprised" at the result, saying he had hosted "tremendous rallies" in the build-up to the elections.
Musk's costly night
Elon Musk also endured a torrid night. The billionaire became the largest political donor in any single election in US history by pumping $445 million into a doomed "rescue mission" for a Republican candidate. America PAC, the Political Action Committee Musk has sole control over, pumped more than $33 million into support for a doomed campaign for Ken Paxton in Texas. Musk also donated $168 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which backed Paxton's campaign.
On the night, Senate seats were flipped by Democrats in Texas, Iowa, Kansas, North and South Carolina and Ohio. They kept Senate seats in New Hampshire and Georgia, with Abdul El Sayed, the party's candidate in Michigan, winning that state's vacant seat.
Historic wins in Texas and South Carolina
In Texas, James Talarico defeated MAGA Republican Ken Paxton, who was personally endorsed by Trump, by 20 points, making him the first Democrat elected to the Senate in the Lone Star State since 1988, the year before Talarico was born.
The night's other big shock was deep red South Carolina, where Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was fighting to keep hold of his seat. She was beaten by Democrat Annie Andrews by around 100,000 votes.
In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton defeated MAGA darling Vivek Ramaswamy in the race to be Governor, after he faced a furious backlash over a grim attack ad. The ad featured Acton's own mother branding her a liar, but it was quickly revealed Acton, who had been sexually abused at the hands of her late stepfather, has been estranged from her mother for 50 years. The last time they saw each other in person was in court after Acton's stepfather was arrested, charged and indicted. Her mother stayed with him, and the pair fled the state, evading prosecution until the stepfather died before he could be brought to justice. Ramaswamy stood by the ad, and Trump and Vice President JD Vance backed him.
In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms made history by becoming the first Black woman elected Governor in US history.
Democrats plan next steps
Senior Democrats were exploring how they will use their new dominance in the House and Senate. Congressman Robert Garcia, who will chair the House Oversight Committee in the new Congress, posted a two-word message to Trump's family members and business associates on X: "Lawyer up."
Trump may well become a one-man roadblock for any legislation the Democrats try to pass, recently threatening he would "veto everything." In return, the new Congress can refuse to pass Trump's budget measures, making it harder for him to pursue his priorities and engage in overseas military engagements. Trump has demanded $1.7 trillion for the armed forces next year, a bid that is deadlocked in Congress, something unlikely to change with Democrats in charge.
