Thursday, November 5, 2026Trump blames gas prices and GOP candidates for the midterm rout
A day after Democrats took both chambers, Trump said he would accept the results and congratulated Democrats. He blamed high gas prices from the Iran war and some Republican candidates, not himself. He also posted a red "Veto" hat and promised to veto bills he called insane.
Trump bet on his instincts – and triggered a blue wave
His own doing
- His endorsements helped flip the Senate
- Aides call it worst-case scenario
- Still says he had the greatest two years
Trump says Democrats 'did a good job,' blames Republican candidates for midterm losses
A sharp rebuke
- He urged voters to pretend he ran
- Says he'd have won in a landslide
- Two-thirds say his policies hurt economy
Trump pledges to veto 'insane' Dem bills, pinpoints issue partially to blame for Republican losses
Gas, not the war
- Vetoes first, deals later
- Voters back him on Iran, he says
- Says he has Democratic friends
Thursday, November 5, 2026Mike Johnson steps aside as House Republican leader
After Republicans lost the House, Speaker Mike Johnson told his staff he will not run to lead the party in the minority. He plans to stay in Congress as a regular member from Louisiana. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan are now racing for the top Republican job.
House Republicans are already having a leadership fight, but are avoiding a reckoning
No lessons learned
- Johnson cited time with family
- Scalise vs Jordan, a 2023 rematch
- Both still tied tight to Trump
Johnson won't seek reelection as House leader after Republican wipeout
Trump ally exits
- Keeps his Louisiana House seat
- His upbeat midterm calls fell flat
- Republicans pick a leader next week
Mike Johnson not running to lead House GOP after historic midterm losses
Blue wave fallout
- Told staff on a Wednesday call
- Jordan already bidding for the job
- Recalls his remarkable rise in 2023
Wednesday, November 4, 2026Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan's Senate seat
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan's open Senate seat. He will be the first Muslim U.S. senator and has never held office before. Trump called him a "jihadist" during the race; AP says there is no evidence of the terror ties Republicans claimed.
Republicans gambled by meddling in Democratic primaries. The bet didn't pay off.
GOP plan backfired
- GOP boosted him as easy to beat
- He won by about 7 points
- Same story with Flanagan in Minnesota
MS NOW's take is a MaddowBlog opinion piece.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins election to U.S. Senate from Michigan
Historic first
- First Muslim senator, never held office
- AIPAC spent nearly $30M against him
- Terror-tie attacks had no evidence
El-Sayed mocks Trump, Vance and Rogers in gloating victory speech signaling combative tone in Senate
Gloating radical
- Told Rogers to enjoy retirement
- Jabbed Vance over swearing him in
- Called Israel's war genocidal
Wednesday, November 4, 2026House Democrats line up investigations of Trump's team
With the House in hand, Democrats say subpoenas are coming for Trump officials, family members and their businesses. Incoming Oversight chair Robert Garcia's message to Trump's circle: "Lawyer up." The Justice Department says it is not afraid of Democrats in Congress.
'Lawyer up': A new Democratic majority prepares for a slate of Trump investigations
Accountability coming
- Jeffries: hold the crooks accountable
- Kushner, Guilfoyle, Blanche in sights
- Run Hegseth out of town
Democrats take the House. Here's what they plan to investigate and their legislative agenda
Probes plus prices
- Day one: health care and costs
- Garcia wants Blanche, Kushner testimony
- Impeachment not ruled in or out
No AP story on the probes could be found, so this is ABC's.
DOJ fires back at Democrats threatening investigations: 'Not afraid' of Capitol Hill
Weaponization again
- DOJ: we followed the law
- Says Democrats ignore costs
- Frames probes as weaponization
Fox ran this as an item in its election live blog.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026Democrats take the House and Senate in the midterms
Democrats won both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterms, flipping seven Republican Senate seats, including Texas, Kansas and Maine. Trump says he will veto what they pass. Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska were still too close to call Wednesday morning.
Democrats sweep Congress in stunning midterm rebuke of Trump
Rebuke of Trump
- Calls it a stunning rebuke
- Blames prices and Trump's record
- No Republican voice quoted
Democrats win full control of Congress, ushering in a new era of divided government
Divided government
- What changes: probes, judges, budgets
- Trump vows to be Mr. Veto
- Quotes leaders from both parties
AP's own story couldn't be found, so this is NPR's, built on AP race calls.
STATE OF PLAY: Blue wave sweeps Democrats into power, with key races still hanging in balance
Blue wave
- Admits a stunning rebuke
- Trump: I wasn't on the ballot
- Thune warns of far-left agenda
Monday, November 2, 2026Judge tosses Trump's bid to hold up Alaska's Senate result
Two men named Dan Sullivan are on Alaska's Senate ballot. Trump's Justice Department sued to freeze the result if the Republican one loses, saying voters could mix them up. A judge threw it out Sunday, two days before the vote, and the DOJ is appealing.
Judge dismisses Trump DOJ lawsuit to block certification of Alaska Senate result if Republican loses
Trump overreach
- DOJ wanted to block a GOP loss
- Its second such suit this month
- Democrats cheer a victory
Judge tosses DOJ lawsuit that sought to block election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses
Unworkable plan
- Judge: no workable plan
- DOJ already appealing
- Spoiler claims, Peltola denies
AP's story couldn't be opened, so this is Alaska's public radio newsroom.
DOJ set to appeal ruling in Alaska Senate race dispute over 'Decoy Dan'
Fight goes on
- Leads with the appeal, not the loss
- Calls him Decoy Dan
- Cites a Democratic spoiler report
Sunday, November 1, 2026Judge throws out Trump's suit against the Wall Street Journal
Trump sued the paper for $10 billion over its story on a crude birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bearing his name. The judge ruled there was no proof the Journal lied on purpose, and the case can't be filed again.
Judge tosses Trump's lawsuit against WSJ and Murdoch over Epstein reporting
A defeat
- Calls it a resounding defeat
- Says he keeps trying to silence the press
- Can't refile, case is dead
Grasping at straws
The law
- Why the judge ruled this way
- Paper printed Trump's denial
- One of many Trump press fights
Judge permanently tosses Trump suit
Blame the judge
- Calls the judge Obama-appointed
- Skips the letter itself
- Just the ruling, fast
Fox News: no story on the final ruling as of Nov 1. It covered the first dismissal in April.
Friday, October 30, 2026Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top planning general
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner, was fired over claims he leaked secrets to reporters. No proof has been shown and he hasn't been charged. It comes as the U.S. weighs new strikes on Iran.
Hegseth purges yet another top general, intensifying controversy
A purge
- One more firing in a purge
- Shakes the military before Iran
- Fuels talk of impeaching Hegseth
Fired even as Trump weighs new Iran strikes
Why now
- No reason given
- No replacement yet
- Some lawmakers worried
Hegseth fires top Pentagon strategist accused of leaking classified Iran, Ukraine war information
A leaker caught
- Accused of leaking war secrets
- Failed three lie detector tests
- Justice Department has the case