Everything points to Donald Trump becoming the new American president. If that actually happens, he seems to end up in an enormous position of luxury, because the House of Representatives and the Senate would also fall into Republican hands.
There was more at stake today than just the presidential election. Important decisions also had to be made in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In that first institute, all seats were redistributed. The Republicans have had a majority there since 2022: 220 seats compared to 212 for the Democrats. The expectation is that they will retain that majority: they currently have a lead of 29 seats. However, 96 seats still have to be allocated.
But the Republicans also appear to be taking control from the Democrats in the Senate. To date, the latter have had a practical majority of 51-49 due to the fact that four independent senators always voted with them. But Republicans have already taken back at least two seats.
The seats are flipping in both Ohio and West Virginia. In Ohio, Republican car dealer Bernie Moreno defeated Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who was running for his fourth term. In West Virginia, Governor Jim Justice will replace independent Joe Manchin III, who is retiring. Democrats long held out hope for Nebraska, where independent candidate Dan Osborn was in a neck-and-neck race with Republican Deb Fischer. But in the end Fischer came out on top.
What does that mean?
The new composition of the House and Senate could have important consequences. For example, those with power in the House can block bills, as recently happened with a new aid package intended for Ukraine. And the Senate is even more important. That chamber must approve laws and give its approval for the conclusion of international treaties, the appointment of judges for the Supreme Court and the appointment of members of the cabinet.
If, and it now appears that Trump will become president, he will end up in a luxurious position. With a Senate and a House of Representatives that fully support him, Trump is much less limited in his policies. During his first term in office, for example, he was able to get three ultra-conservative judges into the Supreme Court.
