Democrats take Congress: subpoena power over Trump's finances

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, according to race calls tallied by The Associated Press and analyzed by NPR. The victories return the party to full control of Congress for the first time since 2023.

The Senate majority was clinched after Josh Turek defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa. Democrats were on track to hold at least 54 Senate seats, a net gain of seven flips, according to NBC News projections. In the House, Democrats were projected to win at least 250 seats, with NBC News estimating about 255 — well beyond the 218 needed for a majority. That estimate could still tick up or down by a few seats.

The scale of the win extended into territory Trump carried by double digits in 2024. Texas and Kansas elected Democrats to the Senate for the first time in decades. The midterm campaign was defined by voters' frustrations with the high cost of living and perceived public corruption, concerns that were central to Democratic messaging in the seven Senate races that flipped from Republican control.

What follows is divided government with teeth. Democrats will be able to launch congressional investigations with subpoena power into the financial windfall Trump, his family members and political allies have enjoyed since he regained the White House, his immigration enforcement, his use of the Department of Justice to target perceived enemies, and favorable business dealings, according to CNBC. Trump's final two years in the White House are certain to be hampered by congressional investigations in two chambers and legislators hostile to his agenda.

The results signal a broad rebuke that could reshape the political landscape heading into the next presidential cycle.