President Donald Trump’s Republican Party has suffered major setbacks in both houses of Congress in the United States midterm elections.

Having lost control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Trump’s political power and policymaking initiatives now face significant challenges.

As a result, he may be forced to navigate the remaining two years of his presidential term facing relentless opposition from the Democrats.

According to election results published by international media on Wednesday (November 4), the Democrats secured 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, while the Republicans won 41.

The Democrats snatched seven crucial seats away from the Republicans.

The Democrats are also leading in the House of Representatives. According to the latest published figures, the party has secured 211 seats—having reclaimed 25 seats from the Republicans, who in turn have won 124 seats.

The seat count may change as vote counting is still ongoing.

With the loss of control over Congress, Democratic scrutiny over the Trump administration's decisions and activities is set to intensify.

The opposition party may launch investigations, in particular, into immigration policies, allegations of corruption within the administration, and the business dealings of the Trump family.

If necessary, Democrats will also have the power to summon government officials for questioning. Even senior administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, could come under investigation.

Furthermore, Trump will be forced to reach compromises with the Democrats to pass new legislation, approve the government budget, and implement vital policy decisions.

Senate support will also be required for judicial appointments, making the realization of Trump's electoral promises increasingly difficult.

Analysts view the rising cost of living, economic uncertainty, and Trump’s controversial war policy surrounding Iran as major factors behind the Republicans' defeat in the elections.

A lack of adequate emphasis on the public's financial distress and corruption allegations against the administration also negatively impacted the party's popularity.

However, losing control of Congress does not mean Trump will lose the presidency. Under the U.S. Constitution, impeaching a president requires a majority vote in the House of Representatives.

Following that, removal from office is only possible if the president is convicted by a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate.

On the other hand, retaining control of Congress would have further solidified Trump’s political influence.

Yet, election results indicate that over the final two years of his term, he is likely to encounter fierce Democratic resistance in nearly every domain—ranging from lawmaking to administrative decision-making.
Sources: The Independent, Reuters, AFR