Democrats win Senate
Democrats win House
Donald Trump says it's "largely true" the Iran war is behind his Republican Party's midterm losses but he'd "do it again" if needed - what else did he say in his first on-camera comments?
Earlier, Vice-President JD Vance said the war was "the reason we lost" - his candid comments distance himself from Trump, our Washington correspondent writes
The Democrats swept to victory in the midterms, taking back both the Senate and the House from Republicans - see the results in maps
The party picked up a string of victories in Republican strongholds. Two are yet to be called - in Alaska the process could take weeks while in Mississippi, more than 95% of the votes have been counted
Image source, Getty ImagesDemocratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has announced he will seek to be Speaker of the House.
It comes after the Democratic Party took majority of the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections last night.
Jeffries is currently House minority leader, so it's no surprise he's thrown his hat in the ring.
Trump has given mixed messages about how he'll navigate leading with Democratically led Congress.
Before polls closed on Tuesday, he said he would become "Mr Veto" if the Democrats won, and exercise his constitutional right to refuse to sign any legislation passed by the Democrats.
But after it became clear the Republicans had lost the House of Representatives and the Senate, Trump said he would be willing to collaborate with the the rival party.
Here's how the presidential veto works
As chief executive, Trump can use the power of the presidential veto to stop any bills passed by Congress from becoming law.
But if two-thirds of members agree, the veto can be overridden by further congressional vote.
It's all designed as a part of the checks and balances that allow each branch of the US government to hold a level of control over the others, which you can read more about below.
Nada Tawfik
North America correspondent
The president's first post-election speech focused entirely on work to the White House ballroom, only after which he spoke to reporters about the midterms
Donald Trump admits that his unpopular decision to launch a war on Iran hurt his party in yesterday's midterm elections. There was some speculation that he could escalate that conflict after voting day - and that potential still exists.
But could the president now instead seek a way out of the Iran war that saves face?
His Vice-President JD Vance - in a long social media post reflecting on Republican losses - all but endorsed a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. And reportedly, Trump has been asking advisors whether he should get rid of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, though the president denies that.
Another big decision awaits - will Trump spend his last two years vetoing every Democratic legislative initiative?
The president's tone has been surprisingly conciliatory, saying he is ready to work with Democrats. But he also posted a picture of a red "Veto" hat on social media. So, stay tuned.
And what now happens to the Maga wingof the Republican party?
Some right-wing commentators say the Republican losses were because Trump betrayed the movement - but does it even exist without the 80-year-old at its helm?
Republicans can't spend too much time licking their wounds - they'll need to sort out a new strategy.
After last night's deluge of election results, ballots are still being counted for seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, we're waiting for final results from Mississippi and Alaska. It could take a while to know the final tallies from both of these states, and as of the latest update, the two candidates in Mississippi had about 65 votes between them with more than 96% of the ballots counted.
When it comes to the House of Representatives, around 375 of the 435 results are in.
In both chambers, the Democrats have already secured the numbers that they need for a majority.
Scroll to the top of this page to see the figures updated as and when we get them, and explore the full map of results - down to the state and county level - here.
Image source, ReutersEarlier, we heard from Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives who is now poised to potentially become the next Speaker of the House.
He said Democrats will deliver a "dramatic change in direction" after receiving an "historic majority" in yesterday's midterms.
Jeffries said voters have "chosen the economy over extremism" and that his party will make its focus fighting for an "affordable America".
"We're going to fight hard for every single American," he said.
As a reminder, Democrats will take control of Congress for the rest of Donald Trump's presidency after winning a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
With 376 out of 435 seats counted, Democrats have 237 seats in the House - read a more detailed breakdown of the election results here.
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent
In his post reacting to the election losses, JD Vance said he remained opposed to "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants.
But the vice-president said he was "open to the idea that we should change enforcement - by focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labour, for instance".
That amounted to something of a concession that the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown backfired politically.
Trump didn’t go that far last night in his own election analysis, and has rarely acknowledged public disapproval of his handling of the issue.
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent
It's hard to recall any recent examples of a sitting vice-president speaking so candidly about their party’s midterm election defeat - and in ways that seem to create distance from the president.
JD Vance said an "honest conversation" about the party's future has to start with acknowledging the Iran war cost Republicans control of Congress.
Trump conceded the Iran war and rising gas prices played a part in the defeat, but he said he didn't regret launching the conflict.
Vance went one step further. The VP said Republicans could debate whether the war was worth the political costs.
He stopped short of openly saying he opposed the war, which he has long backed in public.
News reports indicate he has expressed opposition to the war behind closed doors.
His statement will spark a broader debate on the right about the party’s foreign policy post-Trump.
Results are still coming in today with Democrats flipping several more Republican seats in the House of Representatives.
Here are some results from today:
Rebecka Pieder
Reporting from Washington DC
Trump just made his first public speech following the midterm elections, where his Republican party lost both houses of Congress.
He spoke from the newly construction White House ballroom, one of the big focuses of his second term, and had overall little to say about politics.
While he didn't mention the election results in his remarks, he did take some questions from reporters on the topic afterward.
Here's what he said:
Image source, ReutersTrump has finished speaking, but he is still meeting with people and posing for photos at the White House ballroom construction site.
We'll bring you a recap of what he said at his first post-election public appearance shortly.
Image source, ReutersA reporter asks Trump if he is worried about being impeached again now that Democrats have taken back control of Congress.
"Not even a little bit," he says.
He says that impeachment would "destroy" the Democratic Party, and would be "impeachment for no reason".
"Our country is more successful now than in any time in its history," he says.
For context: Trump was impeached twice by the US House of Representatives, but both times he was acquitted by the Senate.
He then quickly pivots back to the ballroom construction. "Watch the beam go up," he says. "Now envision chandeliers, envision marble floors."
Earlier we reported that Vice President JD Vance made a lengthy statement on social media blaming the Iran war for Republicans' sweeping election losses yesterday.
Trump is now asked about that statement.
"It's largely true," Trump says. "It drove the gasoline up a little bit, short term."
But, he says on the war that he would have done the same thing again. He adds that it was gas prices that were upsetting to voters, not the war itself.
Trump is now taking questions from members of the media, who ask whether he has any regrets about how he closed out the midterms campaign.
He replies by saying, "if I was on the ballot, we would have won".
He adds that the Republican Party couldn't transfer the "love" at his campaign rallies to the candidates on the ballots.
"That was tremendous love, it was pretty amazing," he says.
Image source, Getty ImagesTrump didn't touch much on politics or the midterms in his speech from the White House ballroom, but he did take a moment to tout what he sees as his administration's successes.
"Zero illegal migrants have been allowed into our country," the president says, then circling back quickly to the ballroom project.
The structure, which is slated to be larger than the White House itself, "will be one of the great buildings in Washington D.C", he says.
He describes working with construction as relaxing.
"The White House is the ultimate symbol of America," he says. "It's gotta be perfect."
He is now taking questions from media.
Image source, Getty Images"It's been a dream for a president to have a ballroom," Trump says. He then describes the integrity of the steel structure and the marble used in the construction.
Trump has placed great emphasis on the ballroom, along with other local beautification projects in DC, during his first year.
His final message before the midterm elections occurred by the Lincoln memorial reflecting pool, where he used a series of images to showcase the pool's new pipes and lining.
"We've made DC... beautiful, and everyone is talking about it," he says.
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent
It might seem strange that President Trump chose the under-construction White House ballroom as the venue for his first public remarks after last night’s election.
But it fits with a long history of Trump trying to redirect media attention away from negative headlines and controversies.
With this event, Trump appears intent on moving on from his party's stunning midterm defeat. But it’s highly unlikely that focusing on the ballroom will draw attention away from the Democratic victories in the House and Senate.
The appearance mirrors Trump’s speech Monday at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, and underscores Trump’s continued focus on his own legacy and overhaul of Washington at a time when voters demonstrated that they’re more concerned about the economy, rising costs, and war with Iran.
Image source, Getty ImagesTrump isn't directly addressing the Republicans' losses.
He's speaking at the White House ballroom construction site, discussing renovations at the White House and in Washington DC.
The ballroom has been a focus of Trump's second term in office.
"I grew up on construction sites," he tells the crowd.
He's explaining the materials used to construct the beams, walls and ceilings.
Trump is speaking at the White House for the first time since Democrats took back Congress last night.
We'll be following along and bring you the key lines here - you can also watch live above.
Rebecka Pieder
Reporting from Washington DC
As we've reported, JD Vance says he blames Republicans' resounding elections loss on the war with Iran.
The war has led to a sharp increase in costs for Americans, not least at the gas pump.
Trump had promised when campaigning for a second term in 2024 to get gasoline prices below $2 (£1.48) a gallon. The average price in October was $4.31 (£3.19) a gallon. He also promised there would be no new wars if he returned to the White House.
But the day before the midterm elections, the US launched fresh strikes on an Iranian island and Trump told reporters he had no regrets in starting the war.
In reaction to the midterm elections results, Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US has said that Americans have "said NO TO WAR."
But Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a statement he did not expect US policy to change after the results.
Speaking to the BBC's US news partner, CBS News, Trump said today that the conflict would end "when I say it ends".
Ghoncheh Habibiazad
Senior reporter, BBC Persian
The US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February and killed the country's Supreme Leader in strikes on his compound the same day.
The strikes by all sides involved, though, did not end on the same day. Iran retaliated by targeting locations such as US bases in the Middle East, as well as those in Israel.
Despite a ceasefire between Iran and the US in early April, mediated by Pakistan, occasional flare-ups and strikes have continued, mainly in southern Iran and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
In the latest example, the US reportedly carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz two days ago.
US officials described the strikes as limited and defensive, saying they were carried out in response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) firing on a US aircraft.
It seems like the main sticking point for now between Iran and the US remains the issue of Hormuz. Iran considers the strategic waterway closed, while the US has also continued its naval blockade.
While there have reportedly been talks and messages through mediators between Iran and the US for months, Iran security chief Mohsen Rezaei said yesterday that Washington's response to Tehran demands were "not convincing".
