US mid-term elections: who was the real winner today?

US mid-term elections: who was the real winner today?

midterms blog

It’s the day after America’s midterm elections and the drama is only growing. Follow all the updates live.

It’s the day after America’s midterm elections and the drama is only growing. A defiant Donald Trump has claimed victory, despite losing control of the House, and his Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has suddenly resigned.

Follow the live updates below and visit news.com.au for more news and analysis.

And while you’re here, subscribe to our From the Newsroom podcast.

1:45pm

So, let’s take a breath and summarise what has happened in the last couple of hours.

The White House has suspended the press pass of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who engaged in a bitter back-and-forth with President Trump during a press conference earlier today.

It has justified its decision by claiming Mr Acosta “put his hands on” an intern as she tried to take the microphone from him and give it to another reporter.

But footage of the incident conclusively shows he did nothing of the sort.

CNN has slammed the White House for lying and smearing Mr Acosta with “fraudulent accusations”.

Mr Trump has not said anything since he called Mr Acosta a “rude, terrible person” during the press conference and told him to sit down. We can probably expect the leader of the free world to chime in with some puerile name-calling at any moment.

Here it’s in slow motion so even you can understand that @Acosta NEVER laid a hand on that young woman. Enough, Sarah. pic.twitter.com/c4OjvquZqQ — Kaylee (@KaywinnetL) November 8, 2018

1:00pm

CNN has responded to the White House.

“The White House announced tonight that it has revoked the press pass of CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. It was done in retaliation for his challenging questions at today’s press conference. In an explanation, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied,” the network said.

“She provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”

12:30pm

The rest of the media was swift to react to Mr Acosta’s punishment.

Not many people are buying the White House's excuse.

Acosta, who the White House is alleging "placed his hands" on the young intern, said, "Pardon me, ma'am" as he tried to ask his question. https://t.co/1Ueg9yl9Fu — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 8, 2018

Trump @PressSec confirms that White House has suspended the hard pass of a reporter because it doesn't like the way he does his job. This is something I've never seen since I started covering the White House in 1996. Other presidents did not fear tough questioning. — Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) November 8, 2018

To be clear, several things can be true:



1) Acosta is sometimes a grandstander



2) He didnt attack the female intern



3) His press pass shouldnt be revoked



4) It's laughable the press secretary for this president pretends this WH cares about people putting their hands on women — Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) November 8, 2018

The thing about this White House is that, over and over again, they choose to lie in order to justify wrong and stupid decisions, knowing the press will get worked up over the lie and the base will either believe it or not care about it at all. — Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) November 8, 2018

The White House is suspending @Acosta’s press pass for phony made up reasons. No sane person can watch the video and think he “laid hands” on anyone. https://t.co/5R9rwpl8M2 — Jason Schwartz (@JasonSchwartz) November 8, 2018

I was seated next to ⁦@Acosta⁩ at today’s press conference and did not witness him “placing his hands” on the young intern, as the White House alleges. He held on to the microphone as she reached for it. The ⁦@Reuters⁩ pictures below depict what happened accurately. pic.twitter.com/nO68Hf4eQM — Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) November 8, 2018

12:10pm

That stoush between CNN reporter Jim Acosta and Mr Trump just got more serious.

The White House has suspended Mr Acosta’s hard press pass “until further notice”, and he has been denied his usual access to the building.

“President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, announcing the drastic move.

“This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question.”

“This is a lie,” Mr Acosta said in response.

I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018

The US Secret Service just asked for my credential to enter the WH. As I told the officer, I don’t blame him. I know he’s just doing his job. (Sorry this video is not rightside up) pic.twitter.com/juQeuj3B9R — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018

During the President's press conference earlier today, Mr Trump called Mr Acosta a “rude, terrible person” CNN “should be ashamed” of employing and told him to “sit down”.

Mr Acosta would not relinquish the microphone as he attempted to finish his question, and resisted as a woman - the intern Ms Sanders mentioned - tried to take it and pass it to a different reporter.

Footage of the incident does not support Ms Sanders' assertion that Mr Acosta “placed his hands” on the intern. Other supporters of the President are claiming he “manhandled” her.

Watch it yourself.

Here it’s in slow motion so even you can understand that @Acosta NEVER laid a hand on that young woman. Enough, Sarah. pic.twitter.com/c4OjvquZqQ — Kaylee (@KaywinnetL) November 8, 2018

11:45am

Remember a few hours ago, when Jeff Sessions was still Attorney General and we were all talking about Donald Trump’s wild press conference as though that would be the day’s biggest news story?

It was a more innocent time. Let’s return to it for a moment.

Mr Trump got into quite the spat with CNN reporter Jim Acosta, calling him a “rude, terrible person” the network “should be ashamed” of employing and telling him to “sit down”.

Mr Acosta was not the President’s only target either.

He twice told reporter April Ryan to “sit down” when she asked about voter suppression, and accused PBS journalist Yamiche Alcindor of asking a “racist question” after she inquired whether Mr Trump had emboldened white nationalists.

Mediaite analyst John Ziegler is no fan of Mr Trump, but he believes the media hurt itself with its approach to the President.

“Today’s ridiculous press conference further proved that the media seems to not understand (or care?) that the definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over, all while expecting a different result,” Mr Ziegler wrote.

“Like a wounded animal who needed to show his herd that he is still strong and in charge, Trump used the highly unpopular news media as a weak opponent on whom he could flex his combative muscles.

“By playing right into his game, largely because they know it makes for entertaining television and makes them more famous, the media allowed Trump’s behaviour, which would seem abhorrent to most Americans in a vacuum, to appear to his fans as justified self-defence.”

“You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN,” Trump told CNN’s Jim Acosta during a press conference in which he repeatedly clashed with reporters. pic.twitter.com/OvWCcFap5g — POLITICO (@politico) November 7, 2018

11:15am

Media Matters has compiled a handy collection of all the times Mr Trump’s new acting Attorney General, Matthew Whitaker, publicly defended the President from the Mueller investigation.

Most significantly, Mr Whitaker has consistently agreed with Mr Trump’s assertion that examining the Trump Organisation’s finances would be “crossing a red line” and exceeding the scope of the investigation.

He also once sent a tweet that read: “Not to Trump’s lawyer: Do not cooperate with the Mueller lynch mob.”

It's fair to say he is not a fan.

10:50am

Another key Republican, Senator Susan Collins, has come out in support of the Mueller investigation amid fears Mr Trump is trying to curtail it.

“It is imperative that the administration not impede the Mueller investigation,” she said.

“I’m concerned Rod Rosenstein will no longer be overseeing the probe. Special Counsel Mueller must be allowed to complete his work without interference, regardless of who is Attorney General.”

10:30am

CNN issued an official response to Mr Trump’s stoush with its reporter Jim Acosta earlier.

“The President’s ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far. They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American,” the network said.

“While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it.

“We stand behind Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere.”

Stand by for a snarky Trump tweet in response.

10:10am

One of the more prominent victors in yesterday’s midterm elections was former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Mr Romney will become a senator in January. As a respected party elder - and an outspoken critic of Mr Trump in 2016 - his words will carry a lot of weight.

In response to Jeff Sessions’ resignation, he has just warned that the Mueller investigation should “proceed to its conclusion unimpeded”.

I want to thank Jeff Sessions for his service to our country as Attorney General. Under Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, it is imperative that the important work of the Justice Department continues, and that the Mueller investigation proceeds to its conclusion unimpeded. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2018

9:30am

It’s official. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is no longer overseeing the Mueller investigation.

“Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is in charge of all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice,” a department spokeswoman, Sarah Isgur Flores, has told the New York Post.

Mr Whitaker has been publicly critical of the investigation, and has previously floated the idea of reducing Mr Mueller’s budget “so low that his investigation grinds almost to a halt”.

Watch this space.

9:00am

Democrat Jerry Nadler is about to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, with responsibility for oversight of the Justice Department, among other things.

He is really, really cranky about Jeff Sessions being fired. In a statement, he said the sacking fit “a clear pattern of intereference” from Mr Trump.

“This is a constitutionally perilous moment for our country and for the President. Donald Trump may think he has the power to hire and fire whomever he pleases, but he cannot take such action if it is determined that it is for the purpose of subverting the rule of law and obstructing justice,” Mr Nadler said.

“The firing of Jeff Sessions will be investigated and people will be held accountable.”



He said Mr Whitaker should not take over responsibility for the Mueller investigation, which should instead be left in the hands of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

“It would be wholly inappropriate for Mr Whitaker to supervise the Special Counsel investigation, given his documented history of opposition to it.”

8:45am

On Fox News, former judge Andrew Napolitano questioned Mr Trump’s motivation for ditching Mr Sessions.

“The President can fire an Attorney General for almost any reason, but not for an improper purpose,” he explained.

“He cannot fire him if the purpose of the firing is to shake up the leadership of the Justice Department in order to interfere with a criminal investigation that the President wants to interfere with.”

Judge Napolitano said the situtation was “beginning to look more and more nefarious”.

8:30am

The new acting Attorney-General, Matthew Whitaker, was a conservative legal commentator before he joined Mr Sessions’ staff.

Last year he floated the idea of reducing Mr Mueller’s budget “so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt”.

In an opinion piece he wrote for CNN, Mr Whitaker said Mr Mueller risked going “beyond the scope” of his investigation by examining Mr Trump’s finances.

Speaking to MSNBC in the wake of Mr Sessions’ resignation, former Justice Department spokesman Matt Miller said Mr Whitaker was the “worst possible choice” for “anyone who wants to protect the integrity of the Mueller investigation”.

“By forcing Jeff Sessions out - he made it clear that this resignation was at (Trump’s) request - and then picking someone to replace him, not just any person but one of the few people at the Justice Department who’s weighed in on the record criticising the Mueller investigation ... I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” he said.

7:45am

So, with Attorney-General Jeff Sessions gone, what happens next?

Mr Sessions’ Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker will now serve as acting Attorney-General until Donald Trump nominates a permanent replacement.

That nominee will then need to be confirmed by a vote in the Senate - a process which should be made easier by the Republicans’ gains in yesterday’s elections.

The new Attorney-General will assume oversight of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference, which has so far been run - and protected by - Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein.

Mr Trump could now try to stymie or shut down the investigation.

Earlier today he said voters were “finally beginning to understand what a disgusting witch hunt” the probe is, and repeated his frequent claim it’s led by “17 angry Democrats”.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a Republican, as is Mr Rosenstein.

7:00am

Hoooo boy. Here we go.

Mere hours after the midterm elections, Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has suddenly announced his resignation at the request of the President.

“I came to work at the Department of Justice every day determined to do my duty and serve my country. I have done so to the best of my ability,” Mr Sessions wrote in a letter delivered to the White House today.

He cited a crackdown on violent crime, tighter immigration enforcement and efforts to combat the opioid epidemic as his major achievements in office.

But to be fair, his biggest accomplishment might have been staying in office for as long as he did.

Mr Sessions has endured a tortured relationship with Mr Trump since he recused himself from overseeing the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference.

The President has repeatedly unleashed humiliating criticism of him in public.

“What kind of man is this?” Mr Trump fumed on Fox News in August, saying Mr Sessions “never took control of the Justice Department”.

Mr Sessions pushed back at the time, saying the department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations”.

Why was Mr Trump so angry with the man he himself appointed? There were a few reasons. Mr Sessions did not take any legal action against Mr Trump’s vanquished 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton. He refused to appoint a special counsel to investigate the FBI.

But the biggest motivation was Mr Sessions’ recusal from all matters concerning Russia. Mr Trump felt it was the Attorney-General’s responsibility to protect him, and Mr Sessions had personally betrayed him.

Mr Trump publicly hounded Mr Sessions for months. He frequently criticised him on Twitter and in media interviews, calling him “disgraceful” and “weak”.

“Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else,” he told the New York Times.

“How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, ‘Thanks Jeff, but I can’t, you know, I’m not going to take you.’”

The rather glaring flaw with that argument is that Mr Sessions had no idea he would have to recuse himself until after he was appointed.

Mr Trump had kinder words for Mr Sessions as he announced the resignation today, thanking him for his service to the country.

We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

....We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

6:40am

What you missed overnight

Phew, so much has happened overnight, so let’s round it all up.

— We still don’t have final numbers, but right now, the Democrats have gained 26 seats in the House of Representatives, and have 220 to the Republicans’ 196. That puts the Dems above the 218 needed for a majority. But the GOP held the majority in the Senate, gaining two seats, and putting the party at 51 seats to the Democrats’ 46. That’s a win in Donald Trump’s eyes;

— Mr Trump held a fiery press conference, in which he demanded the mic be removed from a “rude, terrible” CNN reporter, told another to “sit down” and informed a third her question about whether he had inflamed white nationalists was “racist”.

— The President also took full credit for Republican gains thanks to his rallies in close states, and mocked those GOP candidates who didn’t “show him love”, giving that as the reason they lost their seats. “People like me,” he said.

— He earlier warned on Twitter that, “If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them” at the Senate level.

— House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is set to be elected as speaker, would not answer a question about whether she would seek Mr Trump’s tax filings, but said requests would not be “scattershot”. Democrats are expected to investigate his administration’s conduct and his campaign’s ties to Russia, with some calling for impeachment, although Ms Pelosi said this was not on her agenda.

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the fight over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination was “very helpful” to Republicans, acting as an “adrenaline shot” to voters.

It’s apparent to me the White House press corps lives in a bubble and the way they are conducting themselves today will do NOTHING to improve their standing with the American people. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 7, 2018

HOW TRUMP SEES PRESS CONFERENCES LIKE THIS ONE: When @HunterW encourages him to hold more press conferences because they lead to accountability, TRUMP corrects him: "It's called earned media. It's worth billions." — Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) November 7, 2018

5:30am

Donald Trump has unleashed on the “hostile media” like never before - which is saying something - at an extraordinarily combative White House press conference.

“That’s enough. That’s enough. That’s enough,” he said as CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who frequently clashes with him, tried to ask a question.

“That’s enough, put down the mic.”

Mr Acosta refused to relinquish the microphone. Eventually, a White House worker seized it from him and passed it to the next questioner.

“CNN should be ashamed of itself, having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN,” Mr Trump told Mr Acosta, pointing at him.

“You’re a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee (Sanders, the White House Press Secretary) is horrible. And the way you treat other people is horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way.

The next reporter attempted to defend Mr Acosta.

“In Jim’s defence, I’ve travelled with him and he’s a diligent reporter who busts his butt,” he said.

“Well I’m not a big fan of yours either, to be honest. You aren’t the best.” Mr Trump shot back.

At that point, Mr Acosta got back to his feet. It was difficult to hear him with no microphone, but he appeared to ask about the pipe bombs a Trump supporter had sent to the President’s political enemies.

Some argue Mr Trump’s rhetoric risks encouraging political violence.

“Just sit down please,” Mr Trump said. “When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people.”

Mr Acosta was not the President’s only target.

He twice told reporter April Ryan to “sit down” when she asked about voter suppression, and accused PBS journalist Yamiche Alcindor of asking a “racist question” after she inquired whether Mr Trump had emboldened white nationalists by calling himself a “nationalist”.

Trump has called @Acosta an "enemy of the people." Told @AprilDRyan to sit down. Scolded @PeterAlexander. And said @Yamiche asked a "racist question." And we're still going... — Jason Schwartz (@JasonSchwartz) November 7, 2018

I'm simply asking the questions the public wants to know. https://t.co/bZ1cZVBKhd — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 7, 2018

"I'm one who really likes free speech," says Trump, in the same press conference in which he ordered numerous reporters to sit down and stop asking questions. — Jackson Proskow (@JProskowGlobal) November 7, 2018

In responses to some questions from female reporters today, Trump:

-cut one off

-snaps at another to sit down because he didn't call on her

-tells another with an accent that he doesn't understand her — Mark Berman (@markberman) November 7, 2018

Another odd moment came when Mr Trump was asked about running for president in 2020 and whether Mike Pence would be on the ticket.

“Mike, will you be my running mate?” he asked, turning to the Vice President. “Raise your right hand.”

As Mr Pence did so, Mr Trump said: “No, I’m only kidding.”

5:00am

Donald Trump called the midterm election an “incredible” and “historic day”, blaming the media and high number of retirements from sitting Republicans for the losses his party suffered in the House.

He noted that these elections marked the “largest Senate gains in a president’s first term since 1962”.

He attributed key Republican seat wins to his rallies in close-fought states.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump mocked Republicans who had lost after distancing themselves from him.

To Mike Coffman, who blamed his loss in Denver on Mr Trump, he responded: “Too bad, Mike.”

Of Mia Love, who lost her seat in Utah, he said: “Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost. Sorry about that, Mia.”

CNN’s on-air reporters likened his comments to mafia characters from The Godfather.

Mr Trump said Republicans had “defied history” by winning at least two Senate seats, saying his party had “dramatically outperformed historical precedents”.

The president’s party typically suffers losses in the midterms, and Mr Trump boasted that his party now had 55 senators in the upper house, the “largest number of Republican senators in last 100 years”.

2:40am

Barack Obama has warned that “change won’t come from one election alone — but it is a start.”

The former president said he was “hopeful” for a return to “the values we expect in our public life” — and he was not the only Democrat to sound a note of optimism.

While we may not have seen the “blue wave” many predicted, the party did win seats in a few unexpected places, including Oklahoma and South Carolina.

"The change we need won’t come from one election alone – but it is a start," President Obama says in a statement on last night's results. "And I’m hopeful that going forward, we’ll begin a return to the values we expect in our public life." pic.twitter.com/CLY6oW4qW9 — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) November 7, 2018

Hillary Clinton’s 2016 communications director tweeted:

It’s a brighter Wednesday in NYC than the one I lived thru two years ago. If I had to live these last two years over again, I would be really sad. Much love & 🙏 to all Americans who made this a better Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/jrzTvntwkF — Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) November 7, 2018

Donald Trump is preparing to give a news conference.

1:30am

Where the results are now

Here’s where we stand right now. The Democrats have 219 seats in the House of Representatives and the Republicans 193, meaning a clear majority for the Dems with just 23 seats still to be called.

That means the Democrats have gained 26 seats, three more than the 23 they needed.

The Republicans have 51 seats in the Senate and the Democrats 45, with four seats still to be called. The GOP gained two seats.

Bizarrely, shortly after his wild threat to Democrats, Mr Trump has tweeted that Democrat Nancy Pelosi — who he routinely encourages the crowd to abuse during his rallies — “deserves” to be the next House speaker.

Perhaps this is what he meant in an interview on Monday when he said he wished he had taken a “softer tone” in the past.

In turn, she has said her party will not move to impeach Mr Trump unless there is overwhelming evidence.

Isn’t it nice when everyone gets along?

In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be chosen Speaker of the House by the Democrats. If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will add some Republican votes. She has earned this great honor! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

12:20am

Trump issues dire warning

Donald Trump has delivered a dire warning to Democrats, telling them, “Two can play that game!” after losing control of the House of Representatives.

The President faces the likelihood that his opponents — now in the majority — will not only vote down his legislation in Congress, but could arrange an investigation into his dealings.

But Mr Trump warned that if the Democrats were to “waste taxpayer money” investigating him at the House level, “we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level.”

The Republicans are on course to retain the Senate.

Asked about potential investigations, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway told CNN on Wednesday, “the President is not nervous about anything.”

If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

11:45pm

Year of the Woman

It’s official: 2018 is the “Year of the Woman”, with at least 99 women set to be elected to the House of Representatives.

That smashes the previous record of 84 and means women were central to the Democrats’ vital win in the House, with female candidates taking at least 21 seats from Republicans.

The Democrats only needed to flip 23 to win.

In Kansas, Democrat Sharice Davids beat a GOP incumbent to become the first gay Native American woman elected to the House. Texas is set to send its first Hispanic women to Congress, after Democrats Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia won their races.

Republican Marsha Blackburn became Tennessee’s first female senator after defeating former Governor Phil Bredesen. She ran on a policy of stopping illegal immigration.

“This resistance began with women and it is being led by women tonight,” said Elizabeth Warren, who easily kept her seat in Massachusetts as has been tipped for a presidential bid in 2020.

But in Kentucky, retired Marine fighter pilot and star Democrat Amy McGrath, lost her bid to oust to three-term Andy Barr.

Stacey Abrams — one of 16 women running for governor this year — remains just behind Brian Kemp in Georgia, but has refused to concede.

“I am so honoured to share both the ballot and the stage with the many visionary, bold women who have raised their hand to run for public office,” said Ayanna Pressley, the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. “I know for a fact none of us ran to make history, we ran to make change. However, the historical significance of this evening is not lost on me. The significance of history is not lost on me.”

Donna Shalala noted that both of her opponents in the race for a House seat from Florida were women. “This is the year of the woman, and the fact that women were willing to put themselves on the line is important, whether they’ve been Republicans or Democrats,” she said.

The phrase “Year of the Woman” was first used in 1992, when voters sent 47 women to the House and four to the Senate, bringing the total to six.

Those that worked with me in this incredible Midterm Election, embracing certain policies and principles, did very well. Those that did not, say goodbye! Yesterday was such a very Big Win, and all under the pressure of a Nasty and Hostile Media! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

To any of the pundits or talking heads that do not give us proper credit for this great Midterm Election, just remember two words - FAKE NEWS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

11:00pm

Trump: ‘Our big victory’

Donald Trump has tweeted again, portraying the vote as a “Big Victory”. That’s not quite what the tally is saying, with the Democrats on course to flip at least 27 seats in the House of Representatives. They needed 23 for the majority.

Republicans have won at least 51 seats in the Senate, according to reports, giving Mr Trump’s party the majority.

But with Democrats taking control of the House, the President will struggle to pass legislation.

The rebuke to Mr Trump comes thanks in large part to suburban white women and close-fought states including Pennsylvania.

10:40pm

Dead brothel owner wins state seat

In a pretty demoralising result for the Democrat who ran against Dennis Hof in a Nevada state assembly seat, they have been beaten by the Republican who is not even alive.

Brothel owner Dennis Hof died three weeks before the vote but his supporters still put their support behind the man who owned the Moonlite BunnyRanch and appeared in the HBO series Cathouse.

Another candidate from the Republican party will be found to replace Mr Hof.

Nevada held its own state election on Tuesday and this does not impact the results in the Congress.

10:30pm

What vote means for Trump

Counting continues as the US wakes up following a dramatic night. The latest predictions have the Democrats taking up to 228 seats in the House, compared to the Republicans on 207.

About 88 per cent of the vote has been counted and the results in some seats are very close so this could change.

At the moment, 222 seats have been called for the Democrats and the Republicans have 199. Fourteen seats haven’t been called.

It’s not quite the “blue wave” of the Democrats’ dreams, but it will shake up America. You can read about how it will make the President’s life harder in this story.