Wednesday proved to be a shock for US President Donald Trump. In the midterm elections, his Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The opposition Democratic Party has now captured both houses. In the House, Democrats won 221 out of 435 seats, while in the Senate they won 53 seats, crossing the majority mark of 51.
With two years left in Trump’s term, this defeat will change his way of working. Like in 2018, when Democrats took the House, Trump had to fight over border wall funding, faced a government shutdown, and his first impeachment. Now, with Democrats controlling both houses, they will control committees, call hearings, demand records, and question officials. They can also block Trump’s nominations for federal judges, cabinet posts, and even Supreme Court vacancies.
Trump has relied heavily on executive orders in his second term, issuing 292 orders so far – more than any president in a full four-year term since 1981. But with Democrats in control, funding bills, tariff policy, and war powers will face more scrutiny.
On Iran, Trump himself admitted that the Iran war was a big factor in the Republican defeat. He also hinted his stance may soften. For India, the results matter on trade, tariffs, H-1B visas, and defence cooperation. The interim trade framework had set reciprocal tariff at 18%, which fell to 10% after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s emergency powers. The $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications may also face increased Congressional oversight, though Trump still retains veto power.
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