Polling stations across the United States closed on Tuesday as the midterm elections came to an end.
In the latest developments, Democrats have seized control of both chambers of Congress, dealing Republicans a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, according to projections by US networks.
After previously taking control of the House of Representatives, Democrats managed to gain Senate seats in at least six states, including traditional Republican strongholds such as Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
Preliminary Senate election results: Democrats 53 seats, Republicans 41.
Democrats secure 205 seats in the House of Representatives, compared with 123 for Republicans, out of a total of 435, as vote counting continues.
Democrats must work with me, or I will veto anything.
I will become a political analyst and discuss the reasons for the defeat.
Fox News is responsible for these losses because it keeps inviting Democratic opponents onto its programmes.
Trump: Congratulations to the Democrats. I look forward to working with them in the interests of our country.
I believe the Iran issue was one of the factors behind the Republicans' defeat, but Americans recognise the importance of what we have achieved in dealing with Iran.
I can work with Democrats on immigration.
The Democrats performed very well in the midterm elections.
The leading Democrat in the US House of Representatives pledged on Tuesday to use his party's expected majority to fight corruption, as allegations that President Donald Trump had improperly enriched himself emerged as one of the key issues for voters in the elections.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become Speaker of the House in the new Congress, told supporters: "We will hold accountable those who have dragged this country to unprecedented levels of corruption."
He added: "When high-ranking officials are busy enriching themselves, their family members, friends or donors, they are not focused on improving the lives of the American people."
Midterm elections are generally seen as a referendum on the president, particularly in Trump's case, as he commands more attention than any other politician. Trump himself urged his supporters to "treat the election as if I were on the ballot."
According to opinion polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a coalition of US media outlets, including major television networks and The Associated Press, half of voters said they viewed this year's elections as an opportunity to reprimand the president. Around 75 per cent said they were either "angry" or "dissatisfied" with the direction in which the country was heading.
Seventy per cent of those surveyed said they wanted Congress to exercise greater oversight of the president.
Historically, midterm election results have rarely favoured the Republican Party. Republicans have lost congressional seats in every midterm election since World War II, with only two exceptions. Trump's approval rating is hovering near its lowest levels ever, weighed down by widespread voter discontent over the war on Iran, the resulting rise in fuel prices and growing concerns about the cost of living.
Republicans, led by Trump, portrayed Democratic candidates as extremists, un-American and even communists, descriptions that Democrats dismissed as Trump's usual exaggerations.
Polls showed that voters' greatest concern was the cost of living, and that they were dissatisfied with Trump's handling of the issue. Contributing factors included tariffs on imports, many of which were struck down by the courts, and his decision to launch an attack on Iran in February.
