(AFP) – Republicans closed in on complete control of the US government Wednesday as they voiced confidence in retaining the US House of Representatives to deliver Donald Trump a sweeping mandate for radical policy changes at home and abroad. Having already captured the White House and Senate on a blockbuster night in Tuesday’s election, the party will likely be able to complete the trifecta by holding its tiny majority in the lower chamber of Congress, according to the Cook Political Report.
More than 40 House races remain uncalled, and it could take a week or more to determine overall control because of tight races in several states that take longer to count their ballots, such as California and New York. Democrats are nevertheless reeling after Tuesday’s wipeout, and coming to terms with a repudiation that could leave them in the wilderness for years if they are unable to overturn the Republican four-seat advantage in the House. “This historic election has proven that a majority of Americans are eager for secure borders, lower costs, peace through strength, and a return to common sense,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.
“As more results come in, it is clear that, as we have predicted all along, Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate, and House.” Democrats managed to defeat three seats in New York but were unable to capitalize on Republicans’ other vulnerable districts, and their gains were canceled out by flips to their opponents. Republicans have leads in a handful of very tight California races while Democrats still have to defend seats elsewhere.
In the 100-member Senate, Republicans started Tuesday with a 49-seat minority but look poised to end the election with at least 52 seats and as many as 55. The comfortable majority gives Trump a much easier time confirming his cabinet secretaries. “I think it was a referendum on the current administration, in part,” outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said as he gave reporters his perspective on the election. “People were just not happy with this administration, and the Democratic nominee, obviously, was a part of it.”
Trump aides toured the TV news studios Wednesday, confirming that the president-elect would immediately reinstate his first-term immigration crackdown in January with the “largest mass deportation operation” in history of undocumented immigrants. Trump aide Robert F Kennedy Jr., who is expecting a health portfolio in the incoming administration, told NPR he would work to undo water fluoridation, one of the 20th century’s biggest public health achievements. The longstanding conspiracy theorist—a scion of the Kennedy dynasty revered by Democrats—dismissed fears that he would ban vaccines.
– Frankie TAGGART
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