U.S. voters treated this year's midterm election as a chance to register their frustration with the country's direction under the Trump administration, with the Democrats retaking both the House and the Senate following Tuesday's vote.
As votes were counted throughout election night, U.S. media outlets projected Democratic victories in several states, including Ohio, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, the last three of them traditionally Republican strongholds.
An exit poll published by several U.S. media outlets showed that about 60 percent of those surveyed said they used their ballot to express dissatisfaction with the government, three-quarters said they were "unhappy" or "angry" about where the country is heading, and 70 percent wanted Congress to do more to check presidential power.
"I'm happy about them. I think it's a referendum on what's been going on within the Trump administration for the past two years," said Roland, a voter.
"It's not what I thought was going to happen. I didn't think Texas or Kansas or anything would flip, but they did," said Will, another voter.
Democrats won a Senate seat in South Carolina for the first time in 28 years, took a Senate seat in Texas for the first time in 38 years, and in Kansas ended a losing streak stretching back 94 years. CNN called it a "historic blue wave."
"But I think the one takeaway from the Tuesday night results is that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum looked at where the country currently stands in early November of 2026, and said it is totally off base. It lacks direction at home," said Anthony Moretti, an associate professor of communication at Robert Morris University.
Americans have agreed on wanting change but are sharply divided on what it should look like, and that split shows most clearly in whether voters want the two parties to work together or to fight.
"I hope they don't actually work together. I hope that Democrats take this as a show of force that the will of the American people is for them to undo a lot of what Republicans have done for the last two years and even the Trump administration before that," Roland said.
"They better start working together. That's what their job is, right? I would hope that they figure out a way to work together. That's what I tell my two- and four-year-old [kids] and they can get it. So let's hope they can get it done," Will said.
Whoever holds power will still have to answer the cost-of-living question, Moretti said.
"Americans are going to continue to make very clear that these are the policies that are important to us. Are you, the Democrats, or are you, the Republicans, going to put them in place? Because right now we're not necessarily committed to either party. We're committed to seeing our lives getting better," he said.
On current projections, divided government returns when the new Congress takes office in January, setting up two years in which the White House and Capitol Hill will have to find common ground.
"I try to always be the optimist. I want to believe that men and women, regardless of whether they're Democrats or Republicans, can look past selfish interests and identify opportunities to put the needs of the country and the needs of the American people first. But I'm also a realist. The last couple of decades have not shown that either party is necessarily interested in extending the hand of friendship to members of the other party," said Moretti.
US voters vent frustration with direction of Trump administration as Democrats retake Congress
US voters vent frustration with direction of Trump administration as Democrats retake Congress
