Key Points
ใปDemocrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, and President Trump indicated he would accept the results.
ใปThe new Congress begins on January 3, 2027, giving Democrats control of congressional budgets, Senate confirmations and investigations and a stronger hand in negotiating with the administration.
ใปTrump keeps the veto and wide executive and foreign-policy powers, so how voter anger over living costs and the Iran war is addressed will center on budget negotiations.
Democrats Take Both Chambers as Trump Says He Accepts the Result
Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections held on November 3, 2026. According to the Associated Press, Democrats took at least seven Senate seats from Republicans, in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.
In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, and the AP projected a Democratic majority by early November 4 (US Eastern Time). As of 19:53 Japan time on November 4, CBS News listed the Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska as uncalled, and final seat totals were not settled. The outstanding races do not affect control of either chamber.
In Texas, James Talarico defeated state Attorney General Ken Paxton, and in Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Senator Roger Marshall.
In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Husted in the special election for the Senate seat Vance vacated when he became vice president; Husted had been appointed to it. In the Ohio governor’s race, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, according to ABC News.
While votes were being counted, Trump posted on social media that he would have won “in a landslide” if he had been on the ballot. He later said Democrats had done a good job in the campaign and indicated that he would accept the results and work with them.
In a Fox News interview as the results became clear, Trump acknowledged that the Iran war was “a part of” the reason for the losses, according to Reuters. He said he would veto “crazy” bills sent by Democrats and that, after a few months of vetoes, Democrats would call to ask how they could get things done, at which point he would work with them.
On the morning of election day, Trump had said on a Fox program that the roughly $4 billion a year in US military aid to Israel would end at the end of 2026, while Israel could still buy weapons.
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How Power Is Split Between Congress and the President
Why Republican strongholds moved
Divided government refers to a situation in which the presidency and at least one chamber of Congress are controlled by different parties. The 2026 result creates the most complete form of it: a Republican president facing Democratic majorities in both chambers.
According to the AP VoterPoll, the AP’s large survey of voters, many voters blamed the administration for high living costs and wanted Congress to act as a check on the president. Fuel prices rose after the Iran war began in late February, and CBS News reported on November 3, 2026, citing AAA, that the national average gasoline price on election day was $4.15 a gallon.
National headwinds and local candidate factors are worth separating. In Texas, Paxton entered the race carrying a record as attorney general that included impeachment by the state House in 2023, followed by acquittal in the state Senate.
The new Congress starts on January 3
Members elected to regular terms take office, and the new Congress begins, on January 3, 2027, under the Twentieth Amendment. Until then, the current Republican-controlled Congress remains in session, including members who retired or lost. This post-election period is known as the lame-duck session.
Final decisions on the fiscal year 2027 budget, which began in October 2026, and on supplemental funding for the Iran war have been pushed into this session, according to news reports. CNBC and other outlets reported that the war supplemental failed once in July when it did not reach the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate.
Ohio’s special election fills the rest of Vance’s term, so the seat is up again in 2028. Unlike members elected to regular terms, special-election winners can be sworn in before January; in Arizona in 2020, for example, the winner was sworn in on December 2.
The tools Congress has, and the limits that remain
Before the election, Republicans held 53 of the 100 Senate seats and a narrow House majority, according to Yahoo News’ election-day live coverage. The tools that come with majorities in both chambers, and the limits on each, are as follows.
| Tool | What Democrats can do | Remaining limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bills and budgets | Block new laws and attach conditions to spending | Overriding a presidential veto requires two-thirds in each chamber |
| Confirmations | The Senate can delay or reject judges and cabinet officials | The president makes the nominations |
| Investigations | Hold hearings and demand testimony and documents | Findings do not by themselves change laws or impose penalties |
| Impeachment | The House can impeach by simple majority | Conviction in the Senate requires two-thirds of members present |
According to the Congressional Research Service, ending a filibuster on an ordinary bill generally requires 60 of the 100 senators, while passage itself normally needs only a simple majority. Since precedents set in 2013 and 2017, judicial and executive nominations need only a majority, which is why Senate control matters most for confirmations.
The 2018 precedent: Trump after losing the House
This is the second time Trump has lost a congressional majority. In the 2018 midterms of his first term, Democrats won the House.
On December 22, 2018, part of the federal government shut down in a dispute over border wall funding. The shutdown began under the outgoing Republican-controlled Congress and continued after the new Democratic House took office on January 3, 2019. It ended on January 25 with a stopgap bill that did not include wall funding. At 35 days, it was the longest shutdown at the time; the 43-day shutdown in fall 2025 has since surpassed it, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
On February 15, 2019, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border. Congress passed a resolution to terminate it, with 12 Senate Republicans voting in favor. Trump vetoed it on March 15, and Roll Call reported that the House override vote on March 26 fell short of two-thirds at 248 to 181.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the February 2019 appropriations law provided $1.375 billion for border fencing against the administration’s request of $5.7 billion. The same CRS report says that on September 3, 2019, the defense secretary decided to redirect $3.6 billion in military construction funds to the wall under emergency construction authority.
The administration looked for other funding under existing law on top of what Congress provided, and used the veto to keep the emergency declaration in place. The difference this time is that Democrats also control the Senate.
How US military aid to Israel works
US military aid to Israel is set in ten-year memorandums of understanding (MOUs). According to the Congressional Research Service’s May 2025 report on US aid to Israel, the current MOU, signed in 2016, covers fiscal years 2019 through 2028 and totals $38 billion.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the MOU is not legally binding like a treaty, and the actual money is appropriated by Congress each year.
In January 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had floated a plan to phase down the aid over ten years.
On June 5, 2026, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced the start of formal talks with the United States on a framework to replace the current MOU, which expires in 2028. The plan is to expand joint investment in research, development and co-production and move gradually from aid toward a reciprocal partnership. The announcement reported the start of talks, without specifying a concluded agreement or the parties’ financial commitments.
Joint programs already exist. According to a Congressional Research Service report dated June 4, 2026, the current MOU includes $500 million a year for jointly funded missile defense, and Congress appropriated $202 million for cooperative defense programs with Israel outside the MOU for fiscal 2026.
How the New Congress and Trump Could Govern
How budgets connect living costs and the war
Appropriations bills and stopgap funding bills are also subject to the presidential veto. If new appropriations or a stopgap bill are not enacted by the deadline, some operations of agencies whose funding has lapsed stop, while activities with remaining funds and exempted work to protect life and property continue, according to the Government Accountability Office. Whether the parties clash or compromise, appropriations and war supplementals are where they will mainly meet.
Because ending a filibuster on an ordinary bill generally requires 60 votes in the Senate, Democrats already had the power to block spending bills as the minority. What a majority adds is the ability to write budget bills in the House and decide which bills come to a vote, and control over the confirmation process in the Senate.
Part of the cost-of-living anger is tied to fuel prices, which in turn depend on the war, so Congress can address it through conditions attached to war funding. Tariffs are not a budget matter. If Congress tries to change them by legislation against the administration’s policy, overriding a presidential veto takes two-thirds of each chamber. The administration can also change some measures itself: the US Trade Representative can modify or terminate Section 301 actions, subject to the president’s direction and within statutory conditions and procedures, and Section 232 auto tariffs on Japan were changed by executive order in 2025 after the US-Japan agreement.
In the 2018-19 shutdown, it was Trump, who had insisted on wall funding as a condition, who ended the shutdown without getting it.
Congress can also try to stop the war itself through a resolution under the War Powers Resolution. A resolution on the Iran war passed the House but narrowly failed in the Senate. With a new Senate majority it could pass both chambers, but if the president vetoes it, overriding requires two-thirds in each chamber.
What Democrats gained as the majority is the power to negotiate conditions with the administration, centered on budgets and extended through confirmations and investigations. Where bipartisan agreement is possible, legislation remains an option.
How Senate confirmations and oversight shape the last two years
Federal judges serve for life, so confirmed nominees remain long after an administration ends. From January, a Democratic Senate can delay or reject nominees, which gives Republicans a reason to move confirmations quickly in the lame-duck session. If a Supreme Court seat opens, the successor’s confirmation will depend on the Democratic Senate.
Oversight power lets House and Senate committees question the basis for the war or the handling of tariffs in hearings and put the answers on the record. Investigations do not directly change laws, but they give voters material to judge in 2028.
What can Trump do without Congress?
The president can do a great deal within what existing laws allow, including setting immigration enforcement priorities, administering regulations and imposing tariffs. On tariffs, after the Supreme Court ruled in February that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not allow them, the administration switched to other provisions of trade law, first a temporary Section 122 tariff and then Section 301 duties from July 24, and kept them in place.
The administration also leads ceasefire talks and the day-to-day operation of the military. The checks are the conditions Congress attaches to budgets and court rulings, and both have limits.
The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 restricts a president’s ability to withhold funds that Congress has appropriated. Even so, the Government Accountability Office found a series of violations by the administration in 2025.
Those who favor broad presidential discretion argue that using executive power to move issues Congress has failed to resolve for years is a legitimate use of an electoral mandate. Those who emphasize congressional authority criticize it as an expansion of power that bypasses laws and budgets.
Will Israel aid test unity in both parties?
The remark about ending aid to Israel came on the morning of election day, not as a concession after defeat. Trump did not specify what form of aid would end, how, or what would happen to funds already appropriated.
Because Congress appropriates the money each year, any real cutoff would have to take shape in the budget process. Ending aid at the end of 2026 would mean not paying the remaining years of the current MOU, which runs through fiscal 2028. A president can stop requesting the aid, but cannot decide alone what happens to money Congress has appropriated.
The talks on a successor framework that began in June aim to shift from aid to joint projects, and how they relate to the announced year-end cutoff has not been explained. Even if grant aid ends, US involvement and costs through joint projects and arms sales would not necessarily disappear.
Within the Democratic Party, some want conditions on aid and others want to maintain it. Republicans are also divided between those skeptical of foreign spending and those who want strong support. A poll cited by ABC News on November 3, 2026 found that 58% of Americans said military support for Israel should be reduced or ended, so parts of both parties may agree on reducing it.
Whether they agree on conditions for arms sales or on involvement in Israeli military operations is a separate question. A Democratic bill to cut aid would test both the president’s sincerity and Democratic unity.
What both parties face before 2028
Under the Twenty-second Amendment, Trump cannot be elected president again. The next Republican nominee will have to hold Trump’s base while winning back voters lost over living costs and the war.
In Ohio, Vice President Vance campaigned for Husted and Ramaswamy in Cincinnati on October 21, according to CNN, and both lost. Vance was not on the ballot himself, but the result in his home state is one data point for weighing the Republican Party’s ability to win votes heading into 2028.
By winning congressional majorities, Democrats also take on responsibility for results over the next two years. The question is whether they can show voters results, through cooperation as well as opposition.
What it means for Japan: tariffs and the Middle East
According to JETRO’s August 2026 summary, Japanese products covered by the Section 301 measures faced a combined 12.5% including the normal (MFN) duty, with no additional duty where the MFN rate is already 12.5% or more. Autos and auto parts covered by Section 232 faced a combined 15% where the normal duty is below 15%, with no additional duty where it is 15% or more.
Because these are administration measures, a change in congressional majorities alone does not remove them.
For Japan, the more direct channel in the Middle East is how the Iran war and ceasefire talks affect oil and shipping, which in turn affect Japanese households and companies. The conditions Congress attaches to Iran war funding will also bear on the outlook for fuel prices in Japan.
Japanese Reactions to the 2026 US Midterm Results
The results drew many posts on X in Japan on the evening of November 4 (Japan time), as Japanese media reported that Democrats had secured both chambers. Posts ranged from surprise at the scale of the Republican loss and views on its causes to questions about what a midterm changes and doubts about how Trump will respond. The posts below are Japanese-language posts on X published between about 8:05 and 8:17 p.m. on November 4, 2026 (Japan time), found through Yahoo! Japan’s real-time search and read in full one by one. They are a small set, not a random sample, and not a measure of opinion in Japan. The translations are ours.
A user whose display name is ่ผ้ทน wrote:
ๅ ฑๅๅ ใใญ่ฒ ใใใใ ใโฆโฆใใใไธญ้้ธๆใฏๆฐไธปๅ ใๅใคใซใใฆใ้ ทใใใใ
— ่ผ้ทน@Ryuusei Suzuki (@ryuseix20a) November 4, 2026
The Republicans lost way too badly… Even granting that Democrats tend to win midterms, this is brutal. (translated)
A user whose display name is hedgehog wrote:
ใขใกใชใซใฎไธญ้้ธๆใๆฐไธปๅ ใฎๅงๅใใใใใใใใ ใใฌใฝใชใณไพกๆ ผใฎ้ซ้จฐใฏใใใใซใใใงใคใฏใใฅใผใน๏ผใใง่ชค้ญๅใใชใใใใชใhttps://t.co/TmZ87pHWKY
— hedgehog (@hedgehogloves) November 4, 2026
So the Democrats won the US midterms in a landslide. Of course. Soaring gas prices can’t really be brushed off as “fake news!” (translated)
A user whose display name is ใใ ใฎใน wrote:
ๅๅใฎๅคง็ตฑ้ ้ธๆใฏใๆฐไธปๅ ใใขใคใใณใใฃใใฃ้ธๆใใใฃใฆ่ฒ ใใใ
— ใใ ใฎใน (@gonnta133) November 4, 2026
ไปๅใฎไธญ้้ธๆใฏๅ ฑๅๅ ใใขใคใใณใใฃใใฃ้ธๆใใใฃใฆ่ฒ ใใใ
ใจใใใใจใซใชใใฎใใช๏ผ#ไธญ้้ธๆ
Last presidential election, Democrats ran an identity-politics campaign and lost. This midterm, Republicans did the same and lost. Is that how it went? #Midterms (translated)
A user whose display name is 500ไธๅใ่ฟใใใ wrote:
ใขใกใชใซไธญ้้ธๆใฎๅฝฑ้ฟ๏ผ
— 500ไธๅใ่ฟใใใใEAรAIใญใธใใฏใ๏ฝ่ชๅๅฃฒ่ฒทๆญด8ๅนด (@500manpapa) November 4, 2026
ๆฐไธปๅ ใฎๅๅฉใจใใใใจใ ใใฉไธญ้้ธๆใฃใฆๅฝไผ่ญฐๅกใงๆฑบใใ้ธๆใงใใ
ใใใฃใฆใชใใฎๆๅณใใใใฎใใใพใ ใซๅใใใชใ pic.twitter.com/kmitZaOACh
Impact of the US midterms? Democrats won, but midterms are elections for members of Congress, right? I still don’t understand what they mean. (translated)
A user whose display name is endo wrote:
ไปๅใฎไธญ้้ธๆใฎ็ตๆใฏใไป่ฒฌๆ่ใฎใใฉใณใๅคง็ตฑ้ ใซใจใฃใฆใฏใ็ตๆธใ่ฏใใชใใชใใฎใฏ่ญฐไผ(ๆฐไธปๅ )ใๆชใใใจ่จใ่จณใฎใใฟใไธใใฆใใพใไบใซใชใใใใชๆฐใใใฆใใพใใ#ใธใฃใณใฏใทใงใณ
— endo (@edoma77) November 4, 2026
I feel this midterm result may hand blame-shifting President Trump an excuse: that Congress (the Democrats) is why the economy isn’t improving. #Junction (translated)
How Congress and the Administration Move Policy
The election changed where the bargaining happens
The Democratic victory makes it harder for the Trump administration to pass new laws. The veto and executive and foreign-policy powers remain. How far frustration over living costs and the war reaches policy will center on budget negotiations, and will also depend on Senate confirmations, investigations and how the executive branch uses its powers.
Two branches that check each other while also seeking agreement is what the American system was designed to allow. The question is how both parties sort out where they will clash and where they can meet, and whether they can widen the areas where bipartisan agreement is possible. Voters will judge the outcome in 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Democrats win control of Congress in the 2026 midterms?
Yes. According to the Associated Press, Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate in the November 3, 2026 midterms, taking at least seven Senate seats from Republicans. As of the evening of November 4 (Japan time), CBS News listed the Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi as uncalled, but they do not affect control of either chamber.
When does the new Democratic-controlled Congress take office?
Members elected to regular terms take office when the new Congress begins on January 3, 2027, under the Twentieth Amendment; special-election winners, such as Ohio’s, can be sworn in earlier. Until then, the current Republican-controlled Congress continues in a lame-duck session, where the fiscal 2027 budget and Iran war supplemental funding have reportedly been pushed.
Can a Democratic Congress override Trump’s veto?
Only with two-thirds of each chamber. Majorities let Democrats block bills, attach conditions to spending and control Senate confirmations, but overriding a veto requires two-thirds in both the House and Senate, which Democrats do not have on their own.
How did Japanese social media react to the 2026 US midterm results?
Posts on X in Japan on the evening of November 4 included surprise at how badly Republicans lost, a view that high gas prices drove the result, questions about what a midterm changes, and a worry that Trump could blame Congress for the economy. These are a small set of posts we read, not a measure of opinion in Japan.
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We publish video summaries of articles like this one, along with short clips built around Japanese reactions.
Reference Links
- The Latest: Voters give Democrats control of Congress in rebuke to Trump | AP News
- Trump acknowledges Iran played role in Republican midterm losses | Reuters (via Yahoo News)
- Trump says US annual military aid to Israel ends by close of year | Fox News
- Trump says $4 billion in Israel military aid will end this year, citing political reasons | ABC News
- Election Day 2026 midterms live updates | CBS News
- Ohio 2026 live midterm election results | ABC News
- Inside Politics, October 21, 2026 | CNN transcript
- US Foreign Aid to Israel (RL33222) | Congressional Research Service (EveryCRSReport)
- Possible Changes in U.S. Military Aid to Israel: Considerations for Congress (IN12695) | Congressional Research Service (EveryCRSReport)
- US and Israel Move to Redefine Their Defense Partnership | Israel Ministry of Defense
- Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate (RL30360) | Congressional Research Service (EveryCRSReport)
- Military Funding for Southwest Border Barriers (R45937) | Congressional Research Service (EveryCRSReport)
- Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
- Shutdowns and Lapses in Appropriations | US Government Accountability Office
- Impoundment Control Act | US Government Accountability Office
- 19 U.S.C. 2417 Modification and termination of actions | Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- Implementing the United States-Japan Agreement (Executive Order 14345) | The White House
- USTR Takes Action in Forced Labor Section 301 Investigations | USTR
- House fails to override Trump’s veto of resolution ending his border emergency | Roll Call
