Donald Trump woke up Wednesday to a new political reality. Democrats not only won the House and Senate, putting a crucial check on his presidency for the next two years, but made significant gains in statehouses across the country. It was a historic rout, a “shellacking,” to borrow from the 44th president. And while Election Night may be over, the midterm elections are not. We’re still getting results, for one thing, and everyone is trying to make sense of what it all means. Look below for the latest reporting and insights on a stunning shift in power.

Pete Hegseth faces ‘reckoning’

Thom Tillis, the outgoing GOP Senator from North Carolina, looks ready to take on the Defense Secretary on the way out the door.

Pete Hegseth “has a reckoning” and is “one of the reasons why we don’t have the funding or guarantee for defense that we need,” he told CBS News.

“I think after the election, we need to determine whether or not he’s the best person to bring those needs to Congress if he wants something done before the end of this Congress, which is only 60 days away.”

Retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) shares his thoughts as CBS News projects Democrat Roy Cooper to win the state's Senate seat.Asked whether he has any unfinished business before he leaves office, Tillis tells @margbrennan that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has a… pic.twitter.com/WxaoHW3GXL— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 4, 2026

Retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) shares his thoughts as CBS News projects Democrat Roy Cooper to win the state's Senate seat.Asked whether he has any unfinished business before he leaves office, Tillis tells @margbrennan that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "has a… pic.twitter.com/WxaoHW3GXL

I’m waking up struck by the amount of firsts with these midterm elections:-First black female governor in US history-First Muslim Senator-First openly gay Senator-First female Native American Governor-First female Native American Senator-First Latina Governor in Texas…— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) November 4, 2026

I’m waking up struck by the amount of firsts with these midterm elections:-First black female governor in US history-First Muslim Senator-First openly gay Senator-First female Native American Governor-First female Native American Senator-First Latina Governor in Texas…

Some people in the White House are still ‘defiant’

As things were turning south for the GOP on election night, an unnamed administration official released a statement to multiple outlets saying, “The White House mood is defiant … President Trump’s resolve to stop the Radical Left is only going to become stronger. Buckle up.”

Trump himself sounded more conciliatory. In calls to multiple outlets later on Election Night, the president said he accepts the results and is open to working with Democrats (though there were some flashes of his usual angry ranting on Truth Social and Fox News).

However, this morning the White House reverted to its original message, as Politico Playbook reports:

Inside the White House, chief of staff Susie Wiles hunkered down with aides (minus Bill Pulte, who wasn’t invited according to two attendees) to strike a defiant tone.“We’re going to take a page out of President Trump’s playbook and keep fighting for the American people,” a White........

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