Republicans lose majority in both Houses of US Congress in midterm elections, Democrats lead

Results of the US midterm elections held on November 3 are in, and President Donald Trump's Republican Party has suffered a major setback. The party has lost its majority in both chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The opposition Democratic Party has made a strong comeback and taken the lead in both.

Three major causes of public anger in the election were the ongoing war in Iran, rising prices and foreign policy. The most important issue was the military confrontation with Iran. The steps the Trump administration took to bring about a change of power in Iran left the American military caught up in the campaign. The war pushed up prices in the US and spread anger among millions of people. While voting, people delivered their verdict against these policies.

Trump himself acknowledged in an interview that the war in Iran and the situation arising from it were partly responsible for the Republican Party's defeat.

The question now is what effect this will have on Trump's position. The defeat does not mean his presidency is in immediate danger. But with the Democratic Party holding a majority in both chambers of Congress, Trump's unilateral decisions will now face a major check. If the administration wants to pass any major law, budget or military-related bill, it will have to depend on the consent and approval of the opposition. To deal with this situation, Trump has already signalled that he will use his veto power.

The Democratic Party has delivered a historic and surprising performance in this election. Democrats also won in several states regarded as traditional Republican strongholds, leaving political analysts and pollsters stunned. In Kansas, a Democratic candidate has won a Senate seat for the first time since 1932. Democrats have also made big gains in Republican-leaning "red" states such as Texas and South Carolina.

These unprecedented results make it clear that for the next two years Congress will keep a close watch on the Trump administration's foreign and domestic policies.