Americans vote in midterms set to upend Trump presidency

Americans voted on Tuesday in pivotal midterm elections with Democrats hoping to seize control of Congress and shatter Donald Trump's grip on Washington for the remainder of his term in the White House.

Issued on: 03/11/2026 - 16:22Modified: 03/11/2026 - 18:05

Polls predict the Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives and possibly seize the Senate on the back of voter resentment at a deeply unpopular president, soaring energy costs and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Republicans losing the House in an election that amounts to a nationwide judgment on Trump would give Democrats the power to stall the 80-year-old president's legislative agenda and launch sweeping investigations of his administration.

A Senate defeat would threaten his ability to appoint Supreme Court justices and senior officials.

Miami voters weigh local hardship and America's global role as early voting ends

Donta Comer, a 38-year-old project manager in an Atlanta suburb, told AFP he "voted for mostly Democratic candidates."

"It's just about the cost of living, gas prices, those kind of things," Comer said. "It needs to change for the everyday person and I'm an everyday person."

Trump defended his record in a final TV phone-in pitch to voters on Tuesday, saying he had rebuilt the country through his immigration crackdown, war on Iran and tariff policy.

"We have to keep America great. We're great now. We were terrible two years ago," Trump told "Fox & Friends."

All 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are at stake, along with governorships in 36 states. Democrats need only three House gains and a net four seats in the Senate to wrest both chambers from Republican hands.

Trump returned to office last year promising to bring down prices, but inflation, tariffs and fuel costs inflated by the Middle East conflict have squeezed Americans.

Florida Keys business owners reveal contrasting views of Trump's America

The former real estate tycoon's approval rating has hovered near the low 30s.

Economic discontent

Republicans insist that Trump's tax cuts and anti-migrant stance will benefit Americans, and they are portraying Democratic candidates as left-wing radicals.

But in his final public campaign appearance on Monday, Trump barely touched on the election and gave a rambling talk about his problem-plagued renovation of Washington's Reflecting Pool.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer branded it a "pathetic closing message."

Some Republican supporters remain confident.

"We're going to win. As a matter of fact, we've probably already won," Texas military veteran Yvonne Clouser told AFP.

But while Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, the political battlefield is extending into conservative states like Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Alaska.

Can Latino discontent loosen Republican grip on Florida?

Democrats must also defend competitive seats, including in Michigan, where a bitter internal dispute saw congresswoman Haley Stevens endorse Republican Mike Rogers rather than the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.

Decision Desk HQ's final forecast projected 241 House seats for Democrats against 194 for Republicans, and a narrower 52-48 Democratic Senate majority.

Disputed results?

More than 57 million Americans had already voted early before Tuesday, indicating high engagement.

The campaign has attracted more than $11 billion in political advertising, and mega-rich Trump ally Elon Musk has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican efforts.

As soon as polls close, concerns will mount over whether results will be accepted by the Republicans.

Trump, who tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat, has repeatedly alleged widespread voter fraud and accused Democrats -- with no evidence -- of cheating.

In Miami’s Little Haiti, ‘Blood’ looks past Trump’s rhetoric as US midterms loom

The Justice Department, run by a close Trump ally, has already sued to potentially block certification of Alaska's Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, although a court ruled against the effort.

And the Supreme Court rejected on Monday an emergency bid to force California to set aside the mail-in ballots of more than 20,000 people on the grounds they may not be American citizens.

Trump, who will watch the midterms results at the White House on Tuesday night, signaled that if he does lose control of Congress he could simply defy Democrats.

"I veto everything," he told a podcast on Monday.

(with newswires)

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app