Audio Briefing: Democrats Sweep Congress as Midterms Rebuke Trump

WASHINGTON — Democrats have taken control of the United States Senate, according to the Associated Press, and the major American television networks have projected that Democrats have also retaken the House of Representatives in the November 3 midterm elections. Counting continues in some races, but the balance of power in Washington has shifted.

The Senate call came after Democrat Josh Turek won Iowa's open seat, while Democrats also flipped Republican-held seats in Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina and Maine. President Donald Trump congratulated the Democrats and said he was willing to accept the results, while warning he holds total veto power.

This briefing covers the decisive Senate flips, the projected House majority, what voters said drove the result, and what divided government means for the final two years of the Trump presidency — including war powers and the cost of the Iran war. For the latest live updates, see our live coverage and our midterm Election Day story.