Democrats Won Big in the Midterms. Now Comes the Hard Part

The Democratic Party has secured a decisive victory in the midterm elections held on November 3, a result some are describing as a blue wave or even a blue tsunami. The party took control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate from President Donald Trump's Republicans and also captured governorships in former Republican bastions, including Texas.

Images from election night showed Democratic politicians and supporters celebrating across the country, hugging and even crying with joy. But the White House moved quickly to temper expectations, posting on X the following day: "Trump is still your president."

That reminder carries real weight. The president can veto legislation passed by Congress, and overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority, which Democrats do not hold in either chamber. Trump has also, at times, simply disregarded decisions taken by Congress.

Still, Patrick Malone, a professor in the public administration and policy department at American University in Washington DC, told DW a veto is not necessarily the final word. "There are Republicans, especially on the House side, who are not going to want to tie themselves that closely to Trump anymore," he said, arguing that surviving Republicans received a strong message from voters. Malone believes Republicans and Democrats could join forces to override a Trump veto. "It could happen very easily."

One question dominating the post-election debate is whether Democrats will pursue another impeachment. A possible basis would be Trump's decision to launch the war with Iran without congressional approval, since the Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war, though the extent of the president's military authority as commander-in-chief remains legally disputed. From January 2027, Democrats will hold the simple House majority needed to bring charges, but they lack the two-thirds Senate majority required for conviction and removal. Some Democrats argue the process should begin anyway as a check on the president. Others are wary. "If we make Donald Trump the center of our focus, we will lose this moment in history," Democratic Senator Cory Booker said. "We need to deal with the American people's problems."

That caution does not mean Democrats will hold back entirely. Malone expects the party to take its oversight role seriously and open investigations into Trump, his family, or members of his government, noting that such inquiries tend to influence public opinion more than legislation. "They catch people's attention," he said.

While Trump is likely to remain in office, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may be more vulnerable. Observers expect Democrats to push for his removal, partly over the US's relative lack of success in the Iran war. "There's a lot of speculation about what's going to happen to Pete Hegseth," said Brandon Conradis, a former DW journalist now at Bloomberg Government in Washington DC. He suggested Democrats could use their new power over government spending as leverage, telling the White House, in effect: if you want more funding for these conflicts, Pete Hegseth needs to go.

For now, Democrats are enjoying a rare moment of unity, but Malone doubts it will endure. "The Democratic Party was unified for maybe 24, 36 hours. Now they're not really going to unify for a bit," he said. The party spans progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pragmatic mainstream liberals, and moderates who won in formerly red or deeply conservative districts and cannot afford to campaign on progressive priorities back home.

Agreeing on a single direction will not be easy, yet many see it as essential. "They're going to have to figure out a positive governing agenda that they can all agree on," Malone said, warning that simply opposing Trump will not be enough to sustain the party's newfound success.