Democrats sweep midterms as Trump shifts focus to clocks and White House ballroom

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (OPA) — Following a disastrous night for Republicans that saw Democrats secure a House majority and flip the Senate to at least a 54-44 margin, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to complain about daylight saving time. 'Too bad the Senate has not yet approved the Sunshine Protection Act,' Trump wrote, noting the early winter sunset at 5:06 p.m. The House previously passed the bill 308-117, but it faced stiff opposition in the Senate from Republicans including Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Trump had urged his base to treat the midterms as a referendum on his administration, but voter frustration over inflation, high energy prices, and the unpopular war in Iran fueled sweeping Democratic victories nationwide.

In Texas, Democrats ended a decades-long losing streak by winning a Senate seat for the first time since 1988 and ousting three-term Governor Greg Abbott. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since the Great Depression, while South Carolina voters also broke heavily against the GOP. Prices increased by 3.7 percent in the year to September, driven by soaring fuel costs that pushed average US retail diesel prices close to the record $6.52 per gallon seen in September. The economic backlash dismantled the Republican legislative firewall and handed unified congressional control to the opposition for the first time in Trump's presidency.

Rather than addressing the party's historic losses immediately, Trump invited reporters on Wednesday morning to tour the newly constructed White House ballroom. Speaking for more than 20 minutes, he boasted about the space's limestone columns, 50-foot-high ceilings, a drone-proof roof, and a military-grade bunker. When asked about the timing of the project during a political crisis, Trump defended the work. 'The White House is the ultimate symbol of America, and it's got to be pristine, it's got to be perfect,' he told reporters, adding that the construction served as a form of relaxation.

Addressing the political shift on Capitol Hill during his nearly hour-long appearance, Trump acknowledged the incoming Democratic majorities but warned of gridlock. 'I'll get along probably with the Democrats, unless they want to be destructive, but I have the power of the veto,' he said. Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled a confrontational stance for the new Congress, stating that the House would focus strictly on affordability and accountability. 'We don't work for Donald Trump,' Jeffries told reporters on Wednesday, declaring that the chamber would no longer function as an arm of the administration.