Midterm ‘blue wave’ could block Trump’s agenda and launch investigations – here’s what’s at stake

Democrats hope to capture the House, but the Senate could be a heavier lift in November's midterm elections

On the first Tuesday of November, Americans will decide whether to keep Congress under Donald Trump's control, or hand power to the Democrats. The first national elections since the 2024 polls that brought Trump back to the White House, the 3 November midterms will be a crucial test of whether the president's handling of top issues such as the economy and immigration have met Americans' expectations. On Tuesday, voters will cast ballots in initial state primaries, with more to follow in the months ahead.

Up for grabs in November are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate, and if Republicans lose their majorities in either chamber, it will alter the course of Trump's presidency. Should Democrats take the House, they will gain the power to issue subpoenas as they investigate his administration, and can block the president's legislative agenda. Should they wrest control of the Senate from the GOP, Democrats could stop Trump from appointing nominees to cabinet positions and the federal judiciary, including the supreme court.