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On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives — and, with it, the ability to check President Trump’s power.
Republicans, however, performed strongly among the group of Senate seats up that were on the ballot, and expanded their majority in the chamber.
Now that Democrats have won the House, Republicans will no longer be able to pass legislation with GOP votes alone — instead, to get any bills through Congress, Trump will have to spar with Democrats. The new Democratic majority will also have subpoena power, which will help them investigate the Trump administration far more aggressively.
But since Democrats did not take the Senate, they did not gain the power to block Trump’s Supreme Court, Cabinet, and other nominees for the next two years. So Trump will continue to have the upper hand in confirming judges to lifetime posts.
Ultimately, the midterm election results were a mixed bag for Democrats who were buoyed by hope of a “blue wave,” but still saw key wins in governors races, state legislatures, and critical ballot initiatives.