Trump under pressure after losing Congress, and his close ally Netanyahu lacks the numbers to form a government

The ruling Republican Party has lost control of Congress in the US midterm elections, a major blow to President Donald Trump's unchecked power. His close ally Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has suffered a similar blow: on Wednesday (4 November), consultations between President Isaac Herzog and the political parties over Netanyahu's political fate begin, with a decision possible by Friday.

According to the preliminary results, the Democrats have secured a majority in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, too, they have passed the 51 seats needed for a majority, winning 54. The result is being read as a clear public verdict against Trump's policies.

Voter anger centred on the cost of living, fuel prices, inflation and the war with Iran. Although Trump presented himself as a messenger of peace at his second-term inauguration, the war, fuel supply uncertainty and the effects of tariffs put that promise in question; the midterms thus became, in large part, a referendum on Trump's leadership.

In Israel, Netanyahu's crisis is of a different kind. In the 27 October election, his Likud party won 27 of the Knesset's 120 seats on its own; with its coalition partners, the bloc stands at 53. Forming a government requires the support of 61 seats, which he does not have. The opposition bloc won 48 seats, but Arab parties holding 19 seats are backing them — putting the opposition well ahead in the race to form a government.

On Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will receive the final election results and assign a leader of a prospective coalition to form a government. According to Israeli media reports, with Arab support behind the opposition, Gadi Eisenkot is the most likely to get the first chance.

Having failed to win a majority, Netanyahu has alleged election fraud. According to CNN reporting, he said 'the victory was stolen'.

If the president tasks the opposition bloc with forming a government, it will have 42 days, during which it must win a parliamentary confidence vote with a majority. If it fails, Netanyahu could become caretaker prime minister. On 28 October, Reuters reported analysts as saying that as caretaker prime minister Netanyahu's power would be limited, especially on security matters.

For Trump, the most immediate challenge will be relations with Congress. The Democrats can now use investigative committees, hearings and subpoena powers to scrutinise decisions of the Trump administration; political friction may grow over the budget, the debt ceiling, tariff policy and war-related decisions.

But in an interview with The New York Times after the results emerged, Trump said he was ready to accept the outcome and had no objection to working with the Democrats. Losing control of Congress does not end a president's power — he retains the veto and the ability to govern through executive orders.

On Tuesday, an AFP report said Trump could use executive power to restart a major military operation against Iran. In the same report, Ryan Hass of the Washington-based Brookings Institution said Trump appeared likely to remain 'relentlessly active' on trade.

In his speech on Monday, the day before the election, Trump said little about policy; instead he spoke of plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and beautify Washington. According to the AFP report, it carried something of the tone of US presidents preparing for retirement.