US midterms: Democrats head towards control of House and Senate in early results, setback for Trump

Early results from the US midterm elections have not brought good news for the Republican Party of President Donald Trump. The elections come after the first two years of Trump's second term. The trend appears to be going against his policies, and the opposition Democratic Party is moving towards taking control of both key chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

All 435 House seats went to the polls in this election. Voting was held for 35 of the 100 Senate seats. Voters are also deciding the governor's post in 36 states. According to early figures, the Democratic Party needs only three more seats to flip the House and secure a clear majority. To take control of the Senate, it must win four seats. Going by the pace at which the Democrats are advancing, Trump's party may face defeat in both chambers.

Wins by some senior Democratic leaders have added to the party's momentum. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff defeated Republican candidate Mike Collins to win a historic second term. Ossoff, 39, had attacked Trump's policies sharply throughout his campaign.

In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper won the vacant Senate seat, dealing a big blow to the Republican Party. He decisively defeated Michael Whatley, who had Trump's backing. The wins in these two states have made the route to a Senate majority easier for the Democrats.

The election is being seen, in a way, as the public's verdict on President Trump's performance. Last year Trump came to power with a big promise to bring down inflation and strengthen the American economy, but the reality has looked different. The stiff tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, and higher oil prices in the international market because of the conflict in the Middle East, have upset the budgets of ordinary American households. Anger over continuously rising inflation and economic policies has pulled Trump's approval rating down to around 30 per cent. Republican candidates appear to be bearing the direct cost of this.

If the Democratic Party wins a majority in the House, Trump's legislative agenda could suffer a major blow. Democrats could begin deep investigations in Congress into the Trump administration's controversial decisions and various actions. If the Senate majority is lost, the President will face considerable difficulty in appointing Supreme Court judges, senior officials and ambassadors. In that situation, taking any major decision or getting bills passed in the remaining two years of his term will be hard for Trump.

On election night, President Trump was in the East Room of the White House with senior Cabinet colleagues and political advisers. After the trends came in, his unease was evident from posts on his social media platform, Truth Social. Meanwhile, White House officials have said that Trump will not interfere in the election process and that the official certification of results will be completed peacefully.