Democrats retake Congress as Trump concedes midterm defeat
Democrats won control of the US Congress in the midterm elections, and Trump acknowledged his party's defeat in what was described as a historic setback.
The US Democratic Party won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, a victory described as "historic" by France 24, which said Democrats wrested from Republicans strongholds considered safe for decades, including the Texas Senate seat won by Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Senate flips from Texas to Maine
DW Arabic confirmed that Democrats "seized control of the Senate and tightened their grip on Congress" after winning additional seats in Texas and North Carolina. In Maine, Republicans lost the seat held for 30 years by Senator Susan Collins to a Democratic challenger, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump concedes defeat, links it to the Iran war
US President Donald Trump acknowledged his Republican party's defeat and extended a hand to Democrats despite threatening to veto their legislation, admitting the defeat was "partly" due to the fallout from the recent US strike on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, according to France 24. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Americans had voted "no to war".
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, on track to become the next Speaker of the House after his party's win, according to DW Arabic, said "America is not for sale," vowing to hold accountable those responsible for "unprecedented levels of corruption."
Historic diversity and immediate economic, international fallout
The elections saw unprecedented diversity: Abdul El-Sayed is on track to become the first Muslim US senator, according to BBC Arabic, while Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar kept her House seat despite investigations and repeated attacks from Trump, according to Al Jazeera. US stocks rose at the opening bell after the Congressional results emerged, signaling market optimism over the new balance of power in Washington.
In early international reaction, Israeli media said the results dealt a blow to both Trump and Israel, according to Al Jazeera.
The win gives Democrats stronger legislative and oversight tools for the second half of Trump's term, with reports pointing to a shift in the party's focus from passing legislation to opening new investigations into the US administration.