First midterm votes paint a bleak picture for Trump as Republicans brace for a bruising election night: Live updates
By BREANNE DEPPISCH, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER and RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT and VICTOR HELLER, US REPORTER
Updated:
Control of Congress hangs in the balance as Americans rush to the polls to cast their final ballots in the 2026 midterm elections.
In the Senate, Democrats must flip four Republican-held seats to gain control. In the House, they need to pick up just three seats.
Americans have headed to the polls in droves to make their voices heard on a slew of issues, including the cost of living and the war in Iran, while chaos erupted in several key battleground states.
The first polls close at 6pm ET and the last polls wrap up at 1am ET. Then the nation will wait as ballots are counted across the country to find out whether Republicans or Democrats will take power.
Follow the Daily Mail for more updates...
Midterm results in full: See state-by-state maps and latest vote counts in all races as America delivers its verdict on Trump in the battle for Congress
Trump disapproval numbers hit 62 percent with US voters, exit polls show
US voters are giving Trump dismal marks as he nears the halfway point of his second presidential term.
A whopping 62 percent of voters said they disapprove of the president's performance so far, according to early exit poll results from NBC News.
The poor marks were attributed primarily to higher costs of living since Trump took office, the exit polls found - with nearly all voters saying they were 'very' or 'somewhat' concerned about higher gas prices, utilities and healthcare costs, and other costs of living.
Two-thirds of voters told NBC News that they believe Trump's policies have made the economy worse, and 65 percent said they believe his tariff policies are to blame for hurting the economy.
CNN exit poll shows economy as top issue concerning voters
The CNN exit poll shows that 39 percent of voters view the economy as the top issue facing the US.
It's a bad sign for Trump and Republicans as voters are disgruntled about the rising cost of living and skyrocketing gas prices, in part, due to the president's war on Iran.
Democracy was the second most important issue at 32 percent, followed by immigration at 14 percent.
Crime was the least relevant major issue in the 2026 midterm election with only three percent.
The results were as follows:
- Economy 39%
- Democracy 32%
- Immigration 14%
- Health care 8%
- Foreign policy 4%
- Crime 3%
Trump vows to use 'tremendous powers' if Dems retake House, Senate majorities
Trump vowed to use 'tremendous powers' if Democrats retake the House or Senate majorities, he told CBS News in an interview Tuesday night - referring to both his veto powers and a fairly recent Supreme Court ruling.
Trump cited the 6-3 majority in Trump v. Slaughter, in which the high court gave the president broad authorities to fire members of federal agencies, boards, and commissions.
'We won the Slaughter case and the Slaughter case gives the president tremendous powers that it never had before,' Trump said.
He also reiterated his plan to use his veto powers.
'Historically, you veto for a couple of months and then they come and say, 'We've got to make a deal,'' Trump said.
Iowa's Democratic Senate nominee says he split his ballot
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek, who is running for the US Senate, told a local news outlet that he supported some Republicans in local races.
'Susan Miller I voted for, I think she does an excellent job on the county board for supervisors. Voss I voted for, I picked one other as well,' Turek told local news outlet KCRG-TV.
Turek is running against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in a hotly contested race.
Fake polls are threatening the midterms. Now that the chilling left-wing plot has been exposed... we must act now to stop it: RAVI GUPTA
It's been a rough decade for the political polling industry. Over the past few election cycles, we've seen some significant whiffs.
Days ahead of the 2024 election, Iowa's well-respected Des Moines Register poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump, 47 percent to 44 percent. Trump won by more than 13 points.
More recently, in Michigan and Wisconsin Democratic primary races, some surveys were off by double digits.
Breaking:Polls close in Florida (most of state), Georgia, Indiana (Central), Kentucky (Central), South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia
JD Vance's election night plans
Vice President JD Vance is in Washington, DC, to monitor election results, a source familiar with his schedule told the Daily Mail.
No detailed plans were announced, although it is believed that he is at the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory.
The president is hosting an election night viewing party at the White House, but it is unclear whether the vice president is expected to attend.
Vance has visited 19 locations since the early September midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, for campaign stops for Republican candidates across the country including travel to Alaska, according to the White House.
He also was heavily involved with fundraising for the Republican National Committee.
Trump 'won't be able to save you,' Newsom warns federal agents
Governor Gavin Newsom warned Tuesday that the state would arrest any ICE or federal agents caught illegally tampering with ballots - noting on social media that 'Trump can't pardon' individuals over charges brought in the state of California.
His remarks come after ICE took to social media to warn noncitizens against voting illegally.
'If you vote illegally, we will find you,' ICE said on X. 'We will track you down, arrest you, and prosecute you. There will be no escape.'
Newsom hit back in a post of his own threatening to arrest federal agents interfering with the vote.
Trump 'left it on the field,' White House tells allies as they brace for election fallout
The White House is telling allies that Trump 'left it on the field' as they prepare for the results of the 2026 midterm elections.
A set of talking points shared with supporters today and viewed by CNN states: 'There is nobody who has worked harder than President Trump.'
They note Trump's nearly 30 rallies over the past month and stress that he 'left it on the field.'
Trump lashes out against Fox, dismisses poll as 'insulting'
Donald Trump is turning against Fox News in a new post on Truth Social.
'The Fox News Poll, always the worst, is so insulting with the questions they ask,' the president wrote. 'Every question is a hit job, and every answer is "BULLS**T!" This has been going on for years.'
Fox reported that rising costs, property taxes and environmental concerns were top issues for voters in Iowa.
The outlet also reported 'some Republicans splitting their tickets in the state's closely watched Senate and gubernatorial races.'
Top House Democrat says they are 'on the brink' of retaking majority
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries popped by a phone bank in Washington, DC, where volunteers were calling voters in competitive districts to encourage them to vote before polls closed.
While there, Jeffries signaled optimism about Democrats' prospects in the midterms.
'We’re on the brink of a dramatic change in the direction in the country,' Jeffries told volunteers. 'We’re on the brink of Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives.'
Jeffries said that a Democratic majority in the House would be a win for US voters.
'We’re going to deliver a Congress that actually puts the American people first,' he said.
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