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Speaker Mike Johnson projected to cruise to re-election for fifth House term
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is poised to handily defeat his field of opponents to win a fifth term in the House of Representatives.
Johnson, who enjoys a close relationship with President Donald Trump, is projected to win nearly 60% of the vote against four other declared candidates, according to the Associated Press, and therefore is guaranteed to return to Congress in January.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry modified this year's House elections after postponing the primaries to give the state legislature more time to redraw its congressional map to give Republicans an edge.
BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES
Instead of following the traditional schedule of a springtime primary race and a Nov. 3 general election, the top two candidates in each of the state's six House districts would advance to an early December runoff, unless one person clinches over 50% of the total vote.
Louisiana's GOP majority scored a victory with the Supreme Court earlier this year that allowed it to essentially dissolve the state's one Black-majority district, which was drawn under guidelines set by the Voting Rights Act.
THOMAS LEAVES NOTHING LEFT UNSAID ON RACIAL GERRYMANDERING DECISION: ‘GO FURTHER’
Johnson was widely expected to sail to victory on Tuesday night, given his leadership status and prolific fundraising.
His seat in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District is anchored by Shreveport and Bossier City in the northwestern part of the state. Its rating with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report is R-26, making it a safe Republican territory.
JOHNSON DELIVERS BIG FOR TRUMP, BUT FRUSTRATION GROWS ACROSS RAZOR-THIN GOP MAJORITY
But his dominant performance on Tuesday night will not necessarily translate to further success within the House GOP conference.
If Republicans keep their majority nationwide, Johnson is all but assured of remaining Speaker of the House in the next Congress. If they lose, Johnson is all but assured to face pressure from fellow House Republicans to step aside from his leadership role.
In the latter case, it's widely believed that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will face House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for the minority leader position.
Dems flips yet another Senate seat in Trump country amid sweeping GOP upsets
The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Democrat Josh Turek will win Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, flipping a Republican-held seat as the GOP fights to retain control of the chamber.
Turek defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst.
"Iowa, after 448 days of hard work, pushing up hills, knocking doors, visiting all 99 counties, visiting small and midsized communities all across Iowa, and preaching a message of a better future for Iowa – together, we have made history," Turek wrote on X.
The victory marks the first time Democrats have won the seat since 2008, when former Sen. Tom Harkin secured his final term. It also represents a Democratic pickup in a state President Donald Trump carried by more than 13 points in 2024.
SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY
Senate Majority Leader John Thune had made Hinson’s race a priority, saying: "I’m absolutely convinced that she flat has to win, and if she doesn’t, we’re not going to be in the majority."
Hinson shared with a crowd of supporters that she had conceded her race to Turek and congratulated him on a "very hard fought campaign."
"Josh and I, to put it mildly, disagree on a lot. But tonight I hope that we can agree on this, that the campaign is behind us, and the work of serving the people of Iowa remains ahead," Hinson said. "It is time to put politics aside, dial down the rhetoric, and start solving problems for Iowa's families and Iowa's farmers."
Hinson then goes on to state that veterans, young people, students and millions of Americans need the help of politicians.
"That's who this campaign was really for. And while tonight's outcome was not the one that we wanted, I am so deeply proud of our campaign's fight, and I am just eternally grateful to everyone who helped make that happen to all of you," Hinson said.
Turek centered his campaign on affordability, health care and wages. He promised to push for lower prescription drug costs, more affordable housing, a higher minimum wage and a federal ban on food price gouging.
DEMOCRATS SAY THEY'LL MAKE LIFE AFFORDABLE. YOUR WALLET MAY DISAGREE
Health care was a personal theme for Turek, who was born with spina bifida and became a two-time Paralympic gold medalist. He pointed to his own experience accessing care and said "health care is a human right." His platform also called for restoring Medicaid funding, protecting Affordable Care Act subsidies and supporting rural hospitals.
Turek presented himself as a bipartisan lawmaker who could work across party lines, including on immigration. He campaigned as a "prairie populist," arguing that working families were being squeezed by housing, grocery and fuel costs while Washington politicians and corporations benefited. He also tied Iowa’s economic pressure to Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran.
Hinson ran on tax relief, border security, parental involvement in schools and support for agriculture and biofuels. Trump backed her at a Sioux City rally, calling her "a mother, a warrior, a patriot" and promising that "with Ashley in the Senate, we will make it year-round E15. We’ll make it permanent."
Trump also called Turek "not a moderate."
Thune plans to run for Republican minority leader after Dem's midterm takeover
FIRST ON FOX: A source close to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that the South Dakota Republican intends to run for Senate minority leader following the GOP's sweeping defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections.
Thune is expected to seek the leadership position despite Republicans losing at least five seats in the upper chamber, including contests in traditionally Republican strongholds such as South Carolina and Texas.
The losses came amid declining approval ratings for President Donald Trump, whose administration faced criticism over the war in Iran, immigration enforcement operations and high gas prices in the months leading up to the election.
Following the defeat — which saw the Senate margins not only flip, but also widen — Thune defended Senate Republicans' legislative record over the past two years.
The GOP conference has "put up a strong record of accomplishment that's created safer streets, more money in Americans' pockets, and new opportunities for families and businesses to get ahead," Thune wrote on social media.
TRUMP KEEPS CALLING THUNE DESPITE PUBLIC FIGHT OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT
The majority leader also highlighted Republicans' efforts to advance Trump's legislative and judicial priorities despite Democratic opposition.
"After fighting Democrat obstruction at every turn, we prevented the largest tax hike in American history, secured our border in an unprecedented way, confirmed the president's Cabinet at the fastest pace in two decades, and put strong conservative judges on benches across the country faster than we have since the Reagan administration," Thune wrote.
TRUMP'S PATIENCE 'RUNNING OUT' AS THUNE FIRES BACK OVER STALLED ELECTION SECURITY BILL
Earlier this year, Thune also faced criticism from Trump and House Republicans over the Senate's failure to advance key legislation championed by the president, including the SAVE America Act.
The election integrity legislation passed the House of Representatives three times in 2026 but stalled in the Senate, where the chamber's 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster prevented Republicans from advancing the measure.
It remains unclear whether Thune will face a challenger for the Senate Republican leadership position.
Another source close to the Republican majority in the Senate told Fox News Digital that Thune's ambition might land him serious backlash, adding that the conference did not deliver on key promises of the president's agenda which could have hurt Republican voter turnout in the midterm elections.
The source pointed to the fact that the upper chamber was only in session for 217 days in 2025, and 148 in 2026, as a reason for record low approval of the chamber ratings among Republican voters that hurt voter turnout on Tuesday.
The source hinted that outspoken allies of the president in the chamber, such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, could emerge as good alternatives.
'Pod Save America' hosts call Democratic Party's midterm wins 'the end of the Trump era'
The "Pod Save America" podcast team celebrated the Democratic Party's congressional wins in the midterm elections, calling the results "the beginning of the end of the Trump era" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Tuesday night.
"Pod Save America" hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor appeared on the ABC late-night show as news outlets, including Fox News, projected that Democrats would win control of both chambers of Congress following the midterm elections.
Kimmel asked whether they believed anyone from President Donald Trump's administration would be fired following the midterm election results. Vietor said he was unsure but expressed optimism about the country's direction.
"I think that tonight is the beginning of the end of the Trump era in America," he said.
Kimmel noted earlier in the segment that all four men had worked in former President Barack Obama's administration during the 2010 midterm elections, when Democrats suffered major losses that Obama described as a "shellacking."
Pfeiffer described the 2010 election as "one of the worst nights of our lives" but said he would enjoy seeing Trump administration staffers experience a similar feeling.
"That night we went in, we knew it wasn't going to be great, so we had three scenarios: not that bad, kind of bad, pretty bad," Pfeiffer said. "We ended up with way worse than all of those. We were walking out of the White House at 3:00 in the morning. Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff at the time, looked at us and said, 'Tomorrow is about to be the worst day of your life and everybody is going to call for you to be fired.' And he was right. It was terrible."
"And I am going to enjoy every second of every Trump staffer feeling that way tomorrow," he added.
DOUG SCHOEN: THE BIGGEST WINNER AND THE BIGGEST LOSER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
During Fox News' live election-night coverage, Trump told "Special Report" anchor Bret Baier that he would use his presidential veto power if Democrats sent him legislation he opposed.
"It's one of the stronger powers that a president has," Trump told Baier. "And they'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them. And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll go out, and they'll say, how do we get this stuff done? And we'll work together."
‘LAWYER UP’: DEMS IMMEDIATELY PUT TRUMP ON NOTICE AMID REPUBLICANS' MIDTERM BLOODBATH
"You know, I have a lot of friends that are Democrats, believe it or not, I've already spoken to some of them. I've had four calls from meaningful Democrats and, people, in two senators and three congressmen, actually. So it's a total of five, and they have three waiting to call me. So I don't know, they obviously want to talk, but I have the power of veto. And the power of veto is, you know, it's impervious," he added.
Abdul El-Sayed delivers major blow to GOP in Michigan after bruising Senate race
Michigan is staying blue as Republicans’ hopes of flipping the state and gaining some breathing room in their thin majority were crushed.
Abdul El-Sayed, who became the veritable face of this midterm cycle acting as the GOP’s boogeyman for Democratic policies across the country, is projected to topple former Rep. Mike Rogers in what was one of the most-watched contests of the election.
In his victory speech, El-Sayed thanked AIPAC, which spent roughly $42 million running a campaign against him, for allowing him the opportunity to beat the American-Israeli interest PAC twice. El-Sayed celebrated his victory by invoking the Arabic phrase "alhamdulillah" which means "praise be to God."
The progressive candidate also issued a warning shot to his defeated opponent Rogers.
"Enjoy your retirement," El-Sayed said of the Republican candidate. "You chose hate, and Michigan chose hope. May we never have to see the likes of you in this state again."
Meanwhile, close to around 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Rogers called on his supporters to go home, sharing that it was going to be a "long night." Organizers shared with the Detroit News that the hotel needed them out by that time.
ROGERS WARNS MICHIGAN VOTERS AGAINST EL-SAYED’S ‘EXTREME’ AGENDA AHEAD OF ELECTION
Throughout the campaign, El-Sayed outran alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, concerns about his rhetoric over Israel and Jewish voters in Michigan and criticism from fellow Democrats for his ties to controversial political streamer Hasan Piker.
Rogers failed to outrun the political headwinds that have buffeted Republicans this cycle, including affordability issues, President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada launched in the thick of the midterms, and the Iran war, despite his attempts to distance himself and the administration from the latter issues.
El-Sayed’s victory serves as a major blow to the GOP’s push against the progressive lean in Democratic politics, where for much of the cycle after his shock win over Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., Republicans painted him as the face of socialism and communism in their messaging.
He will also be the first Muslim U.S. senator in history. His faith has been used as a line of attack by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who last month during a rally in Michigan accused El-Sayed of being a "jihadist" that would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate."
DEMS' LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED'S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATE
"If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas," Trump said.
Rogers similarly dipped into the same style of rhetoric, arguing to a crowd in Bad Axe, Mich., just days before the election that "This is not someone we can let into the United States Senate."
"If you don't know Iran is our enemy, and you can't condemn a Hezbollah-inspired attack, you have no business being in the United States Senate," Rogers said.
While Rogers and Republicans have run a national campaign against El-Sayed, the insurgent progressive has taken his own jabs at Trump, but largely ran a campaign focused on affordability issues in Michigan.
EL-SAYED, ROGERS CLASH OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, TRUMP AND GUNS: 5 FIERY DEBATE MOMENTS
"They want to point to me and my name and my faith as if somehow that’s the problem, but none of those things are what’s raising your gas prices or making a new home unaffordable," El-Sayed told reporters last month.
The race attracted big names in both parties to stump for their respective candidates, with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others making the pilgrimage to Michigan for Rogers.
And Democratic heavyweights like former President Barack Obama, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., did the same for El-Sayed.
But El-Sayed’s win does not mean he will jump on board with the Democratic old guard in Washington, D.C. Like other progressives running for the Senate, he’s been publicly critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and would prefer Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., to lead Democrats in the Senate.
LIZ PEEK: There may be a silver lining in Trump's brutal midterm defeat
Midterm voters gave President Trump a "shellacking" on Tuesday, akin to that delivered to Democrat Barack Obama in 2010, when Republicans picked up 63 seats in the House and seven seats in the Senate. Though yesterday’s numbers were tempered by recent gerrymandering, the election was brutal for the GOP and for President Trump.
Democrats gained control of both the House and the Senate on Tuesday. The numbers are not all in, but Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats and more than a dozen House seats.
The results in deep red Texas, where James Talarico beat Ken Paxton to become the first Democratic senator from the Lone Star State in 33 years, were shocking but not entirely unexpected. Paxton was an unpopular candidate who carried a lot of baggage. That Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, putting a Democrat in the governor’s mansion for the first time in 32 years, was more stunning.
TRUMP CONGRATULATES DEMOCRATS AFTER DOMINANT MIDTERMS, SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM
Equally stunning was that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, the controversial anti-Israel progressive running for an open Senate seat in Michigan, beat former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers.
One of the few bright spots for Republicans was Florida, where Republican Ashley Moody held her Senate seat and Rep. Byron Donalds became the first Black governor of the state.
As they did in 2010, Americans across the nation strongly rebuked the sitting president, declaring themselves unhappy with the first two years of his second term. Unfortunately for Republicans, questionable polling from many sources and President Trump’s low approval ratings turned out to be reasonably accurate predictors of the midterms.
My view is this: as in 2010, voters in this midterm cycle pummeled the incumbent for overreaching. Trump mistook his landslide 2024 win for a mandate, as did Obama. Both presidents offended voters by going too far – in Obama’s case by trying to deliver on his campaign pledge to "change" the country. He forced through an unpopular massive health care program, turned our energy industries upside down by executive order, an effort later rejected by the courts, and ratcheted up government spending, which ushered in the Republican-led Tea Party.
In President Trump’s case, he quickly closed the border, which voters demanded after his predecessor Joe Biden recklessly allowed millions of people to enter the country illegally. But he then pursued an aggressive effort to deport all undocumented people, including those who had lived in the U.S. for years and had committed no crime other than their original illegal entry. Voters did not approve of the resulting ICE-led confrontations, which in a couple of cases led to violent outcomes. Americans, who just months earlier had demanded secure borders, soured on the president’s signature immigration policies.
DOUG SCHOEN: THE BIGGEST WINNER AND THE BIGGEST LOSER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS
Trump’s decision to wage war against Iran, in an effort to rid that state sponsor of terror of nuclear weapons, contradicted his campaign pledge to keep us out of foreign conflicts. Even those who supported Trump’s goal of preventing the mullahs from acquiring the deadliest of weapons lost patience as oil prices moved higher.
Trump also unilaterally imposed tariffs on our trading partners, as he did in his first term, in order to level the playing field for U.S. companies. Though the White House can point to a rise in investment flowing into the U.S. and an upturn in domestic manufacturing as rewards for those measures, the president wielded his tariff weapon recklessly.
DEMOCRAT GINA HINOJOSA STUNS ABBOTT, MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST LATINA TEXAS GOVERNOR
War-related jumps in gasoline and diesel prices combined with some inflation caused by Trump’s tariffs gave Democrats the opportunity to promise they would, if elected, deliver "affordability." It was an audacious claim, given that Joe Biden clobbered the country with a 21% jump in the cost of living during his four years in office, far surpassing what has happened under Trump. Nonetheless, Trump was punished for promising to bring prices down and failing to do so.
Democrats running in the midterms had no real, specific agenda. Though they promise to deliver "affordability," they have not laid out how they will manage that. Some candidates have promised to implement Medicare for All to bring health care costs down, but fail to explain how they will come up with the estimated $25 to $50 trillion price tag. Some Democrats have run on reverting to Biden’s war on fossil fuels, but that will drive energy costs higher, not lower.
TRUMP'S GAMBLE ON KEN PAXTON BACKFIRES AS DEMOCRAT PULLS OFF HISTORIC TEXAS SENATE UPSET
Rather than laying out a specific platform, Democrats campaigned mainly on hating Donald Trump. He played into their hands by telling Americans to vote as if he were on the ballot. He was trying to drive turnout among his base, knowing that the left had fired up the opposition. But too many voters took him literally and voted against his party and him.
The president will have to take responsibility for Republican losses. His policies were on the line, and in Texas and South Carolina he pushed forward flawed candidates.
DEMOCRAT SEIZE HOUSE CONTROL IN STUNNING BLUE TSUNAMI, VOW RETRIBUTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN
Democrats will cheer their wins, but tomorrow they will have to bring their fractured party together to govern. The progressive wing of the Democratic Party will push policies like Medicare for All, abolishing ICE and eliminating U.S. support for Israel, which the majority of Americans may not support. They will advocate for higher taxes and bigger welfare programs, risking U.S. credit ratings and driving up interest rates and inflation.
Worse, some are calling to shut down the buildout of AI, risking U.S. dominance in the most important new technology of our time, as well as jobs, investment and economic growth. Oil and gas investment, too, is under threat from Democrats. Stock futures plunged overnight as Wall Street assessed what the election might mean.
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Several Democrats have vowed to investigate Trump officials and impeach the president yet again. Two years of ugly conflict and internal divisions will not serve their party well and could jeopardize their presidential ambitions heading into 2028.
If there is a silver lining in this harsh outcome for the GOP, it may be that Democratic dysfunction will undermine the momentum we saw Tuesday, allowing Republicans and President Trump to regroup.
Trump has risen from the ashes before, and he may do it again.
Republicans suffer historic Senate upset as Dem flips deep-red state for first time in nearly a century
The GOP's nightmare scenario became a reality in Kansas on Election Night, where an insurgent Democratic newcomer toppled a Republican incumbent for the first time in nearly a century.
Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton is projected to defeat first-term Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., in one of the more unexpectedly close and brutal races during this midterm election cycle, according to Fox News Decision Desk.
Hamilton’s win in the Sunflower State marks the first time Kansans have sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
Marshall’s campaign sputtered in the late stages of the race, giving Hamilton an opening to peel off a large number of independent and rural voters — and it also served a bruising blow to Senate Republicans who are trying to cling to their slim majority in the upper chamber.
MAINE, KANSAS SENATE RACES NECK AND NECK AS DEMOCRATS LEAD IN TEXAS, MICHIGAN, POLL SHOWS
Democratic strategist Mally Smith told Fox News Digital that Adam Hamilton was the perfect candidate to run in Kansas.
"He was able to bring Republicans, Independents and Democrats together to pull a stunning upset. The combination of a blue environment, a scandal-plagued incumbent, and a strong Democrat like Hamilton made this upset possible," said Smith.
Though for months their race was not on the radar of national Democrats or Republicans, in the waning weeks Marshall acknowledged that he was running for his political life as headwinds battered Republican incumbents across the country.
"I think that, you know, I'm not a political expert, I'm a physician, but if we lose Kansas, I don't see how we keep control of the Senate," Marshall told Fox News Digital in an interview before the election.
"And that's why a vote for Adam Hamilton is a vote for Chuck Schumer and Democrat control of the Senate," he continued. "It’s that simple."
DEM SENATE HOPEFUL REJECTS SCHUMER BUT BENEFITS FROM MILLIONS IN SPENDING BY HIS ALLIES
But Hamilton has time and again said that he would not support Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to continue leading Democrats if elected, a point he reminded Marshall of during their final debate.
"I’ve already said I wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate majority leader if the Democrats took control of the Senate," Hamilton said.
Their contest morphed into a bitter, bloody battle that dragged in millions of dollars in resources and high-profile surrogates, like President Donald Trump, who rallied twice there weeks and days before the election.
It became dominated by brutal headlines against Marshall for his old medical practice, reportedly suing patients for unpaid bills, and searing ads against Hamilton that alleged he covered up sexual assault scandals at his church.
Kansas political experts argued that the race was ripe for Hamilton to take, given that he had a built-in popularity within the state fostered by his decades as the head pastor and founder of the largest United Methodist church in Kansas and the political headwinds created by Trump’s policies — Marshall for much of the campaign remained closely aligned with the president.
"I really just think it's entirely possible," University of Kansas political science professor Don Haider-Markel told Fox News Digital. "And if they can't do it this election cycle, I don't see when they're ever going to do it."
Netanyahu faces coalition showdown as rivals maneuver to form Israel's next government
TEL AVIV, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power in Israel will be tested Wednesday as President Isaac Herzog begins consultations with leaders of all parties elected to the 26th Knesset before deciding which lawmaker to task with forming the next government.
The final vote count, published last Friday by Israel's Central Elections Committee, gave Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot — 61 seats are needed to form a government.
On Monday, Netanyahu posted to X that "the public in Israel does not want a government that depends on Ra'am and the Joint List—parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state."
NETANYAHU DEFIES EXIT POLLS AS VOTE SHIFTS IN HIS FAVOR, BUT MAJORITY REMAINS ELUSIVE
"A clear majority in the Jewish public chose the Likud as the largest party and me, as prime minister, to lead the next government. We aspire to form a broad government with our partners and with any party that wishes to do so and does not support terrorism. I am open to holding discussions on the matter," he added.
The two predominantly Arab parties he pointed his criticism at are the Joint List and Ra'am who secured a historic combined total of 19 seats, potentially positioning them as kingmakers in the government formation process.
A Joint List source told Fox News Digital that the alliance is likely to endorse Eisenkot to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government. If both predominantly Arab parties were to back him, he would receive recommendations from parties representing more than the 61 seats needed.
The lawmaker tasked with forming a government will have 28 days to do so, with the president authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.
Consultations will be held in ascending order of seat count, beginning with Religious Zionism-Zehut and Shas, which each won six seats, followed by Yisrael Beiteinu, which secured seven.
On Thursday, Herzog will meet with the leaders of United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit, which each won seven seats, followed by The Democrats and Ra'am, which each won eight, the Joint List (11), BeYachad (12), Yashar (21) and Likud (27).
Defense and government affairs commentator Amir Oren told Fox News Digital that while Herzog is formally free to choose whom to task with forming a government, he would be inclined to select the candidate whose nomination is backed by parties representing a majority of Knesset seats.
FORMER ISRAELI PM EMERGES AS WILD CARD IN HIGH-STAKES ELECTION WITH MIDDLE EAST'S FUTURE AT STAKE
"He must then task Eisenkot with forming the next government. That does not mean Eisenkot will succeed. If he fails, he will have to return the mandate to the president," Oren said.
Eisenkot may, in fact, struggle to assemble a 61-seat governing coalition, given competing interests within the opposition bloc. BeYachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu chief Avigdor Liberman are unlikely to agree to serve in a government reliant on the Joint List, given the latter’s pro-Palestinian positions and opposition to Zionism.
It is theoretically possible, however, that the opposition bloc could agree to form a minority government with the Arab parties providing support from outside the coalition.
While Israel has no precedent for forming a minority government immediately following an election, such arrangements have occurred during a Knesset term. Most recently, during Netanyahu’s current term, one of the ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew from the coalition over a dispute related to military conscription but continued to support the government from outside.
Religious Zionism-Zehut, Otzma Yehudit and Shas each confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday night that they would recommend Netanyahu to Herzog during consultations on forming a government.
Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that Bennett and Liberman’s recent endorsement of Eisenkot suggests they are moving away from the prospect of a national unity government.
"I think it would behoove Netanyahu, Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Bennett and former Defense Minister Liberman to find a way to work together now, given the imminent clash between the apocalyptic death cult known as the Iranian regime, Israel and, by extension, the rest of the Western world," he said.
Complicating matters for Netanyahu, the 26th Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 10. Its newly elected members are expected to begin forming committees and advancing legislation, while the current prime minister and ministers remain in office and continue carrying out their duties under the oversight of the new parliament, ensuring continuity of government.
WHO IS ITAMAR BEN-GVIR, THE ISRAELI FIREBRAND RISING WITH THE POPULIST RIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE?
"They are doing everything they can to push Netanyahu out of office, and we are seeing that now with discussions about replacing the Knesset speaker. They can then begin trying to advance legislation in a Knesset with 19 seats held by Arab parties that would be very uncomfortable for Netanyahu," Diker said.
Oren highlighted another potential challenge, suggesting that the caretaker government's ability to launch military operations could face political constraints, potentially complicating any resumption of hostilities with Iran, even if U.S. President Donald Trump were to initiate such action.
Former Knesset member Dov Lipman told Fox News Digital that Eisenkot appears likely to be the first lawmaker tasked with forming a government, but suggested that most Israelis favor a national unity government built around Likud, Yashar and BeYachad, with one or more smaller parties also joining.
"As a first step, Eisenkot may approach Likud and ask it to join a government under his leadership, which Likud will reject. Eisenkot will then have to make a decision, as Liberman is unlikely to agree to serve in a government alongside Arab parties," Lipman said.
"Eisenkot will likely fail to form a government, after which the mandate will pass to Netanyahu, who will also likely fail."
That would trigger a 21-day period during which any Knesset member could attempt to form a government with the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. If the process reaches that stage, Eisenkot might agree to serve under Netanyahu for two years to avoid sending the country to another election, Lipman said.
Prof. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu would need to make concessions to persuade opposition leaders that he would honor his commitments, given their experience with the 2020 power-sharing agreement with then-Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.
NETANYAHU REVEALS HE WANTS AMERICAN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL TO 'DRAW DOWN TO ZERO'
Under the agreement, Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first 18 months, with Gantz serving as alternate prime minister and defense minister before taking over as premier on Nov. 17, 2021. However, the arrangement unraveled after the government failed to pass a state budget by the December 2020 deadline, triggering the Knesset's automatic dissolution and new elections. Gantz never assumed the premiership.
Rahat pointed to Israel’s 1984-1988 national unity government as a precedent, saying a similar arrangement could work.
"At the time, Israel was still embroiled in the Lebanon War, with IDF forces deployed in the country, while the economy was facing a severe crisis, with annual inflation exceeding 400%. Against that backdrop, Likud and Labor formed a national unity government under a rotation agreement, with Shimon Peres serving as prime minister for the first two years, followed by Yitzhak Shamir for the next two," he said.
While large parts of the public would likely support it, Rahat said, there are still issues that may create tension.
"They will have to freeze the judicial overhaul launched by Netanyahu’s government, find a way to investigate Oct. 7, as demanded by opposition parties and agree on a mechanism for Netanyahu to leave office when the time comes. But when it comes to major issues of security and the economy, unity governments can be quite effective," Rahat said.
"Once they resolve the major challenges, however, they start fighting among themselves and the magic is over."
Trump congratulates Democrats after dominant midterms, says he looks forward to working with them
President Donald Trump congratulated Democrats, saying he looked forward to working with them for the good of the United States following a difficult Election Day for Republicans.
The Fox News Decision Desk projected a wave of Democratic victories, giving the party control of both the House and Senate. Trump warned earlier in the day that he would be quick to veto Democratic legislation if Republicans lost power, but struck a conciliatory tone when speaking to CBS News once results came in.
"My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," Trump told CBS News late Tuesday.
DOUG SCHOEN: THE BIGGEST WINNER AND THE BIGGEST LOSER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS
"I think they're gonna want to work with me," he continued. "Otherwise, I'd just veto everything, and they're not gonna want that."
Trump previously made it clear he remained confident in his ability to pursue the MAGA agenda despite the outcome of the midterms.
"I have the ultimate power — it's called 'veto,'" Trump previously told CBS News.
During the earlier conversation, Trump suggested that his veto power could force Democrats to come to the bargaining table.
"Historically, you veto for a couple of months, and then they come and say, 'We've got to make a deal,'" Trump said.
WATCH 2026 MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS LIVE & KEY RACE CALLS IN TX, OH, MI, WI, GA, IA, NV, ME, FL
Republicans lost key races across the country as Democrats secured victories in the midterm elections. Trump attributed the results in part to his absence from the ballot.
"I feel that I wasn't on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won," Trump said. "In some cases, they didn't like the candidates, and in some cases those candidates were not my friend, and the base knows that better than anybody. And they stayed back."
Later in the evening, Trump spoke with Fox News Channel and again stressed that he planned to use the "power of veto" to block Democratic-backed legislation.
"It's one of the stronger powers that a president has," Trump told "Special Report" anchor Bret Baier during live election-night coverage.
"And they'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them. And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll go out, and they'll say, 'How do we get this stuff done? And we'll work together,'" he added. "You know, I have a lot of friends that are Democrats, believe it or not, I've already spoken to some of them."
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Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Dems seize the Senate as blue tidal wave crashes deep into Trump country, topples GOP strongholds
AUSTIN, Texas — Democrats pulled off a spectacular drubbing of Republicans to reclaim power in the Senate Tuesday night, even without every race up for grabs across the map being decided.
Democrats’ reclaiming of the upper chamber means that Republicans’ near two-year control of the federal government since President Donald Trump’s meteoric return to power will come to an end in January when the 120th Congress gavels into session.
And they did so by carving a blue gash deep into Trump country, toppling several candidates that the president handpicked in many races that, until the waning weeks of the midterm election cycle, appeared out of reach for Democrats.
The wave started in Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., easily beat Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., and continued rolling through North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa and Texas, where Senator-elect Rep. James Talarico, currently a state senator, handed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a historic and decisive defeat in the Lone Star State.
SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY
"We just took back Texas," Talarico told a roaring crowd of supporters Tuesday night.
As Tuesday rolled into Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had clinched five pickups already, eviscerating Republicans’ thin, 53-seat majority in the upper chamber.
The wave could still continue into Tuesday and roil through the GOP, with major races still outstanding that could swing Democrats’ way before the midterms are through.
Contests in Michigan, Minnesota and Alaska were still outstanding, but even if Democrats lose those races, they’ll still claim power in the Senate.
VETERAN DEM OPERATIVE SAYS SUBPAR GOP CANDIDATES POISED TO HAND OVER SENATE MAJORITY
And coupled with a majority in the House, that means that Trump’s agenda in Congress will likely grind to a complete halt.
Blame among Republicans was already flying as the dust continued to settle election night, with Trump, the quality of candidates running in tight races, and the top Republican running the Senate’s campaign arm, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., coming under an immediate and harsh microscope.
VETERAN DEM OPERATIVE SAYS SUBPAR GOP CANDIDATES POISED TO HAND OVER SENATE MAJORITY
"When the NRSC Chairman loses his home state of SOUTH CAROLINA…," a GOP operative told Fox News Digital.
Whether Schumer will be the one to lead Senate Democrats, however, remains in the air.
Many of the candidates that scored a ticket to Washington, D.C., have remained noncommittal, or outright refused, to support him, arguing that the Senate Democratic caucus needed generational change in leadership.