Democrats Projected to Win U.S. House in Midterms as Trump Vows to Use Veto

Democrats were projected to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, with Decision Desk HQ calling the chamber for the party at 9:11 p.m. Eastern, minutes after another wave of polls closed. The call ends four years in the minority for Democrats and sets up divided government for the last two years of President Donald Trump's second term. Before the call, Republicans held 218 seats and Democrats 214, with two vacancies and one Republican who switched to independent. Democrats needed to flip three seats. Decision Desk HQ projected that Paige Cognetti flipped a Pennsylvania seat. The Cook Political Report had forecast a Democratic gain of 15 to 25 seats, and the University of Virginia's Center for Politics listed 239 seats in Democrats' favor. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats were "on the verge" of retaking the House but took nothing for granted. Trump's approval rating was near record lows, and voters were worried about inflation and the war in Iran. Trump told CBS News by phone he would use his veto against Democratic legislation, saying he has "the ultimate power."

The right-leaning outlets split between Trump and the count. Fox News led with Trump's veto vow and his citation of the Supreme Court's Slaughter v. Trump ruling, which let him fire Democratic FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, as proof of presidential strength. Its coverage framed him as confident of pursuing his agenda even if Republicans lose majorities. The Daily Signal ran a live blog headlined around the battle for Congress, reporting the Decision Desk HQ call and the Pennsylvania flip in time-stamped entries. The left-leaning outlets focused on what a Democratic House means. The Guardian stressed oversight of the administration, seat math, forecasts, Trump's low approval, the unpopular Iran war and Republican redistricting efforts. CBS News ran race-by-race results, poll closing times, Republican-targeted redrawn Florida districts, and Jeffries's potential history as the first Black speaker. Both sides agree Democrats won the House. They differ in emphasis: the right gives Trump's response and live projections, while the left gives Democratic gains, forecasts and Trump's weak standing. The Hill reported the call; Semafor's distinct angle was affordability.