US midterm voters responded in a thunderous voice. This is just the beginning | Betsy Reed

A note from our US editor: A reckoning is coming, but make no mistake: Trump is still president - we'll need a free press in 2027 as much as we did in darker days. Please help today if you are able

• Betsy Reed is US editor of the Guardian

Over the past two years, millions of people all over the world have watched Donald Trump's destructive reign unfold with one question in their minds: Is there no check on his power?

This week, voters deciding who controls Congress responded in a thunderous voice: there must be a check on the president's power. From Texas to Ohio to South Carolina, Americans surged to the polls to register their opposition to Donald Trump - and to show their support for the kind of leaders who will look out for the interests of everyday people rather than those of a corrupt ruling elite. And now many people are looking at politics with a new and unfamiliar feeling of hope.