US midterms 2026 LIVE updates: Trump jokes about renaming Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in final pitch to voters; Republican control of House and Senate under threat from Democrats

Thanks for joining our US midterm election coverage

By Madeleine Heffernan

Welcome to our live coverage of the US midterm elections.

Americans head to the polls tonight (AEDT) in elections that could have big ramifications for the second half of Donald Trump’s presidency.

All seats in the US House of Representatives and a third of those in the Senate come up for grabs.

The results will determine whether the Democrats can neuter Trump’s agenda or if he will maintain his grip on America until the presidential election in November 2028.

The elections, which are on track to be America’s most expensive ever, are being fought on issues inducing the cost of living, the war on Iran, artificial intelligence and data centres, abortion rights, the immigration crackdown, and, of course, the president himself.

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Trump to closes election campaign touting Washington makeover

By Michael Koziol

Washington: US President Donald Trump will close the Republicans’ campaign for the midterm elections by touting his makeover of the US capital in a speech from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Trump’s decision to return to the site of the botched pool renovation the day before election day – while calling into a slew of telephone rallies in various states – adds to a frenetic closing message that critics say has lacked focus on bread-and-butter issues affecting Americans.

The president said he wanted to speak at the Reflecting Pool “to show how beautiful it is” now that works were completed. He insisted the water feature had been vandalised, even though the government’s own court submissions conceded the damage was caused by the contractors, not vandals.

On Sunday, Trump held what may be his final ever campaign rallies, in the Midwest states of Iowa and Kansas, where Republicans are battling to hold seats in the US Senate amid widespread concerns about affordability, particularly the rising cost of diesel.

Who’s expected to win?

By Madeleine Heffernan

To take control of the House, the Democrats need to pick up at least six more seats (218 seats in total); in the Senate, they need to win a net four seats (51).

Polling suggests Democrats are on track to win the House easily, and possibly the Senate.

That’s largely because the unpopular war on Iran and high inflation have pushed Trump’s popularity to the lowest point in his political career. Trump started his second term with an approval rating of 47 per cent, but the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found his approval rating had slumped to 32 per cent. The same poll found 43 per cent of registered voters planned to vote for the Democrats in these midterms, and 35 per cent for the Republicans – the biggest lead for the Democrats this year.

The Democrats winning control of both houses would frustrate Trump’s agenda for the final two years of his presidency, plus revive the party ahead of the 2028 presidential campaign. “A win is now measured based on how many seats Democrats pick up rather than getting to a balance or status quo,” says Cory Alpert, who worked in the Biden-Harris administration.

How do the midterms work?

By Madeleine Heffernan

The US midterms take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, as stipulated in a law passed 181 years ago.

They are held midway between presidential elections to determine the make-up of Congress, which comprises both the House of Representatives (which has two-year terms) and the Senate (six-year terms).

The Trump administration narrowly controls Congress. In the House of Representatives, the Republicans hold a five-seat majority, with 219 seats (including an independent who votes Republican) against the Democrats’ 214.

In the Senate, Republicans have 53 seats versus the Democrats’ 47 (including two independents who vote Democrat).

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Thanks for joining our US midterm election coverage

By Madeleine Heffernan

Welcome to our live coverage of the US midterm elections.

Americans head to the polls tonight (AEDT) in elections that could have big ramifications for the second half of Donald Trump’s presidency.

All seats in the US House of Representatives and a third of those in the Senate come up for grabs.

The results will determine whether the Democrats can neuter Trump’s agenda or if he will maintain his grip on America until the presidential election in November 2028.

The elections, which are on track to be America’s most expensive ever, are being fought on issues inducing the cost of living, the war on Iran, artificial intelligence and data centres, abortion rights, the immigration crackdown, and, of course, the president himself.

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