Today’s notice: What comes after the blue wave — what Republicans are saying, what Democrats are saying, what the president is saying. Plus: A deep dive into how it happened.
THE LATEST
A “massacre,” a “Watergate-level loss,” a “total ass-kicking from coast to coast.” Whatever you want to call it, Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered a historic, cataclysmic defeat in Tuesday’s midterms, losing at least 25 seats in the House, seven in the Senate, and their majorities in both.
The Sun’s Elena Schneider, Alex Roarty and Reese Gorman interviewed more than 50 lawmakers, candidates, senior strategists and consultants from both parties to deliver the definitive story on how the Republican coalition unraveled.
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It starts with a meeting in early 2025, where Sen. Tim Scott, as the newly elected head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said his priority was his relationship with Trump — a sentiment shared by many of his colleagues. It ends with last night’s historic drubbing.
What comes next?
Republicans: Finger-pointing. “President Trump did a better job promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates did themselves,” a White House official told The Washington Sun. Jasmine Wright, Ben T.N. Mause and Ayah Ali-Ahmad have the story of last night’s grumbling.
“The rallies didn’t matter,” said one Republican operative in Georgia of Trump’s midterm tour. “It was all baked. People are fucking pissed and they blame him, and they have good reason.”
Senate Republican leader John Thune plans to run to remain leader of the conference despite the brutal night, The Sun’s Al Weaver reports.
In the House, it’s hard to see how Speaker Mike Johnson stays the top Republican. Last night, he touted himself as the “the largest fundraiser in the history of the Republican Party, other than President Trump.” But just two weeks ago, Johnson said it was “hilarious” for Democrats to think they could win 230 House seats. “I want you to record that I am laughing out loud about that,” he told Punchbowl News. “That is nonsense.”
To underscore the scale of Republican losses: Rep. Richard Hudson, the man in charge of the House GOP’s campaign apparatus, appeared on track to lose his seat.
Democrats: Victory laps and promises to keep. “Wow! Wow! Wow!” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last night as he spoke to reporters.
“This is a change election, and we understand, as House Democrats, that we need to deliver dramatic change,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, the likely next speaker, said at his own press conference.
Follow The Sun’s live blog for news and analysis on the aftermath.
The White House: “Lawyer up,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the expected next chair of the House Oversight Committee, posted on X. We have reported extensively on Democratic plans to subpoena and investigate Trump officials when they take back control of the gavels on Capitol Hill. It will be a different world for an administration used to a (mostly) rubber-stamp Congress.
“We’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward to working with them,” Trump told The New York Times. “We’ll probably work something out.”
Redistricting: Will this keep going? “If they stop, we stop!” an operative familiar with Democrats’ redistricting strategy told The Sun’s Manuela Silva as the Republicans’ newly drawn lines failed to stop the Democratic wave.
The country: New faces, new competitive places. History was made across the country, with the election of the first Black woman governor from either party (Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia) and the first Black Republican governor (Byron Donalds in Florida). The first Muslim senator was elected: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Democrats won statewide races in places largely foreign to the national party like Texas and Kansas. The political map has changed.
More: Democrats Blowout Republicans in Historic Midterm, Now Face Pressure to Deliver • House Democrats reach more than 100 female members • Amid shocking GOP losses, Trump’s Iran war looms large • One Pennsylvania Republican hugged Trump, another shunned him. They both lost • Senate Democrats cross into gloating territory
NOT US
- On Cusp of Renewed War, More Iranians Are Calling for Nuclear Weapons, by Erika Solomon for The New York Times
- Trump touted his Reflecting Pool success. But new problems are visible. By Maura Judkis and Meg Kelly for The Washington Post
- Claire Valdez makes a lot of people in Congress nervous. That’s okay. By Nia Prater for New York magazine
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The newsletter was produced by Kate Nocera, Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton.
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