In brief

• The article covers the November 3 US midterm elections and what they could mean for Donald Trump's final two years in office.
• Democrats were hoping to win the House, which would let them block Republican legislation and launch investigations.
• In the Senate, Democrats were reported to be within reach of a majority.

A vote seen as a referendum on Trump

Voters went to the polls on November 3 to elect a new Congress, and the results are expected to weigh heavily on the final two years of Trump's term (Americans vote in key midterms set to upend Trump presidency – France 24) (US midterms: Americans vote in polls seen as referendum on Trump – DW) (US voters head to polls for midterm elections set to define remainder of Trump's term – DW). International outlets framed the contest as a verdict on his first months back in the White House, a period marked by abrupt policy shifts and frequent clashes with opponents (US midterm elections: A referendum on President Donald Trump? – France 24) (Americans head to the polls for elections that could define Trump's closing chapter – BBC News).

What is at stake in the House

Democrats hoped to take the House of Representatives. If they succeed, they would be able to block much of the Republican legislative agenda and open sweeping investigations into the administration. Such oversight would give Congress a far stronger role in scrutinising executive decisions than it has had since January 2025.

The Senate race is closer than expected

In the Senate, Democrats were reported to be within reach of a majority, a prospect that would have been difficult to imagine earlier in the cycle. Control of the upper chamber matters for confirming judicial and executive appointments, which would determine how much of the administration's staffing and court strategy can proceed unchallenged.

How the system works

All 435 House seats and roughly a third of the Senate are on the ballot in midterms, and the party that wins a chamber gains control of its committees and agenda (US midterm election: How it works, why it's important and races to watch – DW). Because the president's party has historically lost seats in the midterm year, analysts have treated this election as an early test of Trump's political standing.

What comes next

Results from close races could take days to finalise, and the composition of Congress will not be clear until counting is complete (First Thing: US goes to polls in vote that will define the last years of Trump’s presidency – The Guardian). Whichever party controls Congress in January will set the terms for the final stretch of Trump's presidency, from budget negotiations to investigations and nominations.

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