No one can be surprised that US President Donald Trump and his Republican allies face the remaining two years of his time in office treading water and struggling to pass his policies through Congress.
Although Trump encouraged Americans to get and vote for him, even though his name was not on the ballot papers, the Democrats soundly thrashed him and the Republicans by winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, the Republicans performed a little better and extended their majority by a few.
Trump’s problem seems to be the number of women and young voters who mobilised against him nationwide after admitting they should have voted him down two years ago.
Now, Trump will have his policy excesses curbed by the Democrats who are likely to block any contentious legislation in the lower house of Congress.
Policy bogged down
They may also makes his life uncomfortable by launching personal probes to uncover his finances and tax history.
Also at risk is funding for The Wall between the USA and Mexico and Trump’s attempts to bring in new tax cuts and the abolition of Obamacare.
Whatever the outcome, Trump will have to back down on his steamroller negotiation tactics if he wants to get any more business done.
The choice is to fight the Democrats and face obstruction or parley and at least see some laws pass through Congress.
The result was not unexpected. Americans notoriously vote for the opposition at midterm elections.
Despite tough campaigning by Trump in the run-up to the elections, the Democrats were confident of winning the House of Representatives.
Success for women
Women led the charge – with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Abby Finkenauer becoming the youngest women to win seats at the age of 29, while
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are the first Muslim women and Sharice Davids and Debra Haaland the first Native American women to be elected.
All six are Democrats.
The Midterm Elections are held two years after each Presidential election – the last was when Trump won office in November 2016.
Besides seats contested in both houses of Congress, state governors in 36 out of the 50 states faced elections.
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