US midterm elections 1974–2026: Only two presidents kept control of Congress as Trump suffers defeat

Main points

• Trump's Republicans lost control of both chambers in the 2026 midterms.
• Only Carter in 1978 and George W. Bush in 2002 retained both congressional majorities.
• Presidential parties have frequently lost congressional seats in midterm elections.

Donald Trump's Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 US midterm elections, continuing a decades-long pattern in which presidents have struggled to maintain their party's grip on Washington.

Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, dealing a major setback to President Donald Trump and giving the opposition greater power over his remaining two years in office.

The Associated Press projected Democratic control of the Senate on election night and the House early on November 4, following victories in several closely contested races.

The outcome follows a historical pattern stretching back more than 50 years. Since 1974, only two presidents have seen their parties emerge from midterm elections with majorities in both chambers of Congress: Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1978 and Republican George W. Bush in 2002.

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Records compiled by the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, show that presidential parties have frequently lost congressional seats during midterm elections, even when they retained control of one chamber.

Carter's Democrats retained both chambers in 1978 despite losing seats. Bush's Republicans achieved a rarer result in 2002, gaining seats in both chambers while maintaining their majorities.

Other presidents faced significant setbacks. Bill Clinton's Democrats lost control of both chambers in 1994, while Barack Obama's party suffered heavy House losses in 2010.

Trump experienced a similar defeat during his first presidency in 2018, when Democrats captured the House, although Republicans retained the Senate.

In 2022, Joe Biden's Democrats retained the Senate but lost their House majority, despite performing better than many previous presidential parties in midterm elections.

The 2026 result gives Democrats the ability to block Republican legislation, scrutinise government spending and investigate the Trump administration. The new Congress will take office in January 2027.