Democrats win control of US Congress in midterm elections

The Democratic Party secured control of both houses of Congress in what multiple outlets described as a sweeping electoral wave. According to reports from the Daily Maverick and Dawn, the results reflected deep voter anger over living costs, tariffs, and the conflict with Iran, which contributed to soaring fuel prices. Premium Times and The Guardian noted that Democrats successfully flipped several Republican-held Senate seats, including in states such as Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina, and South Carolina.^{3,10,12,13,16}

The shift in legislative power gives the opposition authority to block legislation, initiate broad investigations into the administration, and impede judicial and senior government appointments. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is positioned to become speaker in the new Congress, stated that the public had rejected extremism and corruption, according to CNA. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera and other outlets observed that despite losing legislative control, President Trump retains significant executive powers to advance his foreign policy and domestic agenda.^5,9,12,18

Financial markets reacted swiftly to the congressional shift. CNBC and CNA reported that precious metals prices experienced strong gains while the US dollar dipped following the election outcome. In foreign policy, analysts cited by the South China Morning Post suggested a Democratic-led legislature could increase scrutiny and pressure on Beijing regarding artificial intelligence, export controls, and Taiwan.^6,7,22