The party has flipped at least seven GOP-held Senate seats at the time of writing, including Texas, which last elected a Democratic senator in 1988, and Kansas, which last did so in 1932. It seized the House, flipping more than two dozen seats, among them a Kentucky district President Donald Trump carried by about 15 points. Only four times since World War II had a party captured both chambers in a midterm.
The consequences arrive fast, although not immediately. Republicans keep control of Congress until January 3. There may be a rapid slew of legislative activity in this narrow gap.
But after that, Democrats gain subpoena power, leverage over spending, and a veto over Trump’s nominees—including any Supreme Court pick. Trump has promised a blizzard of vetoes in return, though also an openness to work with Democrats. The scale of the victory is undoubtable, and its message against Trump’s governance clear, yet it also conceals its fragility.
The blue tsunami is real and profoundly consequential, but the ideological tsunami isn’t. Here are five hard truths to grapple with once the celebrations die down. Democrats can legitimately say voters repudiated Trump.
But they cannot assume voters endorsed the Democratic Party’s broader program. About four in 10 voters told the AP Voter Poll they voted to oppose Trump. Just under two in 10 voted to support him.
Before the election, most voters told a CBS News poll they didn’t think Democrats had a plan, and nearly six in 10 Democratic backers said they were voting mainly to stop Trump and Republican policies, not to advance Democrats’ own. Even among Democratic House voters, about one in five viewed the party unfavorably. That’s a borrowed majority.
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