#USMidtermElections: Democrats take House, Republicans keep Senate
What's the story
In what comes as a blow for Trump's presidency, the Democrats are racing ahead to take control of the House of Representatives. While the Republicans retained control of the Senate, the Democrat-controlled House now means that the US has a split Congress, and the two rival houses are likely to be at loggerheads over several issues for the remainder of Trump's tenure. Here's more.
Twitter Post
Despite losing the House, Trump congratulates the Republicans
Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
House
Democrats are on track to take control of the House
While vote counting is still going on, it seems like the Democrats are on their way to a comfortable victory in the House of Representatives, having already secured 207 seats as opposed to the Republicans' 188, at the time of writing A majority of 218 is needed for controlling the House of Representatives, and the Democrats are expected to reach that number soon.
Senate
The Republicans cruised to victory in the Senate
The Republicans, on the other hand, cruised to victory in the Senate, having won key bouts in Texas, Indiana, and Tennessee. At the time of writing, Republicans already held a 51 seat majority in the Senate, while the Democrats held 42. Two seats were held by independent candidates. Despite results of five seats pending, there's no way back for the Democrats.
Split Congress
The Senate will act as a bulwark against Democrat attacks
The impending Democrat victory in the House means that the US is headed towards a split Congress. Unlike the first two years' of Trump's presidency, when Republicans held both the House and the Senate, the next two years are likely to be frustrating for the mercurial US President. Yet, the Republicans' retention of the Senate will act as a bulwark against Democrat assaults.
Opposition
The Democrats will look to chip away at Trump
That said, the Democrats controlling one house could prove to be a pain for Trump. Apart from foreseeable stalemates over legislative issues and issues such as healthcare and immigration, a Democrat-controlled House is likely to open investigations into Trump, targeting his previous tax affairs. Additionally, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe could get a fresh boost from the Democrats.
Impeachment?
Frustration, not impeachment, on the cards for Trump
However, it's unlikely that the Democrats will push for impeachment. While controlling the House allows them to push for an impeachment, such a motion is unlikely to ever clear the Republican-controlled Senate with the required two-thirds majority. Thus, what is likely is that the Democrats will frustrate Trump by repeatedly blocking legislative changes and other government reforms. Expect repeated stalemates.