What's next for Democrats after party regains Senate and House control

[0:10] Hi, everyone. I'm Vladimir Dutian. [0:12] And I'm Nancy Cordes. It's 11 a.m. here in New York City, [0:15] and we're continuing our special election coverage. [0:18] CBS News projects Democrats will take control of Congress in January, [0:22] and our latest estimate shows they are going to have at least 54 seats in the Senate [0:28] and more than 250 seats in the House. [0:31] This is a historic day, Nancy. [0:33] As you know, Texas and Kansas have elected their first Democratic senator in decades. [0:38] The party also flipped Senate and House seats all across the country. [0:42] President Trump says he will accept the results and work with congressional Democrats, [0:46] but he is also threatening to use his veto power. [0:50] About half an hour ago, the vice president weighed in about the midterms on X, [0:55] and this was really eye-opening. [0:57] He wrote in part, quote, [0:58] The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. [1:03] If you'd like to argue it was worth it, [1:06] that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, [1:09] then do so. [1:10] Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. [1:12] Agree or disagree, that's at least honest. [1:16] It's a very curious tweet from the vice president. [1:18] It sounds, Vlad, like he's saying he does not think that it was worth it, [1:22] which is really stunning to hear from someone who has been championing this war [1:27] and the reasons for it for half a year now. [1:29] So, Nancy, you know this. [1:30] First of all, it's so great to have you here with me on this day. [1:34] You've been up for like 24 hours, so I appreciate it, and so do our viewers. [1:38] But you've covered these elections, midterms and presidential elections for many, many years now. [1:43] There's always a little bit of soul-searching the morning after. [1:47] And I think what I hope we'll be able to do in this hour [1:50] is talk about what that soul-searching is looking like now, [1:52] both for Democrats and Republicans. [1:53] Yes, there's soul-searching, but there's also positioning. [1:57] There is running away from a dumpster fire. [2:01] And, you know, I'm getting a little bit of both from what Vice President Vance is saying [2:05] because he is someone who's looking ahead to the future of his career, [2:09] possibly looking forward to 2028, [2:12] and realizing, as so many people have, [2:14] that the war was a weight around the ankles of the Republican Party [2:18] and maybe looking to get a little distance from it. [2:21] Yeah, I also sort of am curious to know [2:23] what Democrats are going to be thinking about in January, [2:26] only because there's a question that I have, [2:29] which is, is this a signal that Democrats, [2:32] the people in America are open to more progressive candidates [2:35] like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, [2:37] or are we looking at folks like now Senator-elect Marshall [2:42] who were able to bring along independence, [2:45] people who perhaps have voted for President Trump, [2:46] who are sort of center-left and not on the progressive side, [2:50] and he drew some of those people to the party [2:53] in places where Democrats have not been competitive, [2:56] in some cases in Kansas in 100 years? [2:58] I think it's both and. [2:59] I mean, that's the beauty and the challenge of a big tent. [3:02] When you have these big wins, [3:04] you are inevitably going to have big new stars [3:07] from every part of the spectrum of your party. [3:11] And a large part of their success over the next two years [3:13] is going to depend on how well they are going to be able to balance [3:17] those very different interests. [3:19] You're going to have socialist candidates who say, [3:22] I won because I supported Medicare for all. [3:25] And then you are going to have centrists who say, [3:27] no, we have to show that we're willing to work with the other side. [3:30] That's why we won independence. [3:32] And how well leaders like Hakeem Jeffries [3:35] navigate that argument [3:36] is really going to determine [3:37] what things look like in 2028. [3:39] Yeah, and one of the things we'll be watching soon [3:41] is we're expecting to hear from [3:43] the potential Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, [3:46] at some point during the course of this hour. [3:48] Do you think that he can actually win [3:50] that Senate Majority, what is it, seat, position, title? [3:53] What is it called? [3:54] It looks really good for him right now. [3:57] Because Senator Roger Marshall, [3:58] Senator like Roger, not Roger Marshall, [4:02] in Kansas. [4:05] Adam Hamilton. [4:05] Adam Hamilton, yes, thank you. [4:07] I'm still thinking of Mark. [4:08] Adam Hamilton just told Nora, Gail, and Nate [4:11] that he is looking beyond. [4:13] Yes, and you're always going to get some of that, [4:16] especially from moderate candidates [4:18] who are looking to get some distance [4:19] from the leadership of the party. [4:21] But what we're hearing is that Schumer is in good shape. [4:25] He recruited a lot of these candidates [4:26] who won last night. [4:28] They are going to be indebted to him. [4:30] And Democrats don't necessarily have the stomach [4:32] for a big leadership fight right now [4:34] because they've got so much more on their plates. [4:37] They are now going to have the power [4:39] to investigate the president. [4:41] They're going to have the power [4:42] to stop his cabinet nominations. [4:45] They're going to have the power [4:45] to block his proposed legislation. [4:48] And so the question is, [4:49] what exactly are they going to do [4:51] with all that power? [4:54] Today begins the great American comeback. [4:58] The soon-to-be House Speaker, Hakeem Jeffries, [5:03] celebrated big blue victories in deep red seats. [5:07] We just took back Texas. [5:09] After Democrats pulled off projected wins [5:12] unthinkable for decades. [5:14] The people of Texas were my slingshot. [5:19] And tonight, we defeated Goliath. [5:22] In Texas, 37-year-old James Tallarico [5:25] will be the state's first Democratic senator [5:27] in 32 years after beating Attorney General Ken Paxton [5:32] in the most expensive Senate campaign ever. [5:35] We've had a difficult night tonight across the country, [5:38] but it's not over. [5:39] In South Carolina, Dr. Annie Andrews [5:42] ousted GOP Senator Darlene Graham, [5:44] who was appointed this summer [5:46] to fill her late brother Lindsey Graham's seat. [5:49] This victory doesn't belong to me. [5:51] It belongs to all of you. [5:52] In Kansas, Adam Hamilton, [5:55] the minister of the largest United Methodist church [5:58] in the U.S., [5:59] flipped the country's longest-held Republican Senate seat, [6:03] ending a 94-year drought. [6:05] The real work starts January 3rd. [6:08] In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins [6:11] was defeated after five terms in office, [6:14] conceding last night to Democrat Troy Jackson. [6:17] To every Mainer who voted for her, [6:20] you know, you can count on me to be your senator now. [6:22] And in one of the most highly-watched Senate races, [6:26] Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed [6:28] is projected to become the nation's first Muslim senator. [6:32] Winning a single U.S. Senate seat was never the goal. [6:36] The goal is to use that seat to transform our politics. [6:39] Democratic leader Chuck Schumer rejoiced. [6:42] And we have five words for the American people. [6:45] Relief is on the way. [6:48] In a call with CBS News, [6:50] President Trump congratulated the Democrats [6:52] and took little responsibility for the losses, [6:56] posting on True Social that the problem was [6:58] that he wasn't on the ballot. [7:00] He did admit that the war with Iran [7:03] and resulting high gas prices may have played a role. [7:06] Historically, I think I'll be judged [7:08] for having done the right thing, [7:10] but that gave us an evening that was not that pleasant. [7:13] Early exit polls pegged Trump's approval rating at 38 percent, [7:18] a new low for a president in a midterm election. [7:21] Retiring North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis [7:24] told CBS News last night that Trump's policies [7:26] put Republicans in this situation. [7:29] What I regret is that we missed the opportunity [7:32] to take a step back, [7:34] question some of the policy priorities [7:36] that were put forth by some of the president's advisors. [7:40] I have to say Republicans lost tonight. [7:42] Democrats didn't win most of these races. [7:44] We lost them. [7:45] The blue wave didn't just sweep through Congress. [7:48] With a Texas chip on our shoulder. [7:51] State Representative Gina Hinojosa made history [7:54] as the first Hispanic candidate elected governor of Texas, [7:58] defeating three-term governor Greg Abbott. [8:01] And know that we're leaving Texas [8:03] in far better shape than it's ever been. [8:06] And in Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms, [8:08] the former mayor of Atlanta, [8:10] will be the first black female governor in America. [8:14] Your never-ending belief in this campaign [8:16] has made today a reality. [8:19] You sent a message that will ring across our state [8:23] and our nation. [8:27] All right, let's bring in CBS News congressional correspondent [8:29] Caitlin Huey-Burns now for a closer look [8:31] at the voting data. [8:32] So we have to talk, guys, about what's going on [8:36] in both Mississippi and in Alaska. [8:38] But Mississippi, we're on the precipice potentially [8:41] of having a state of the old Confederate South Mississippi [8:45] that has not elected a black Democratic senator [8:48] since Reconstruction. [8:49] Vlad, I can't even tell you, my jaw was on the floor [8:52] last night just watching these votes [8:54] because look at Mississippi. [8:56] When you think that, you know, does my vote matter? [8:58] I don't know. [8:59] It does because look at the votes separating. [9:01] 43 votes are separating these two candidates. [9:05] This is a race no one had on the radar. [9:07] But I'll tell you what, it does reflect [9:09] a bigger story here, [9:11] which is that a lot of these Republican incumbents [9:14] were completely caught flat-footed. [9:17] Cindy Hyde-Smith did not expect a competitive race [9:20] and she really downplayed some of the effects [9:23] of Trump's policies that were having a direct effect [9:26] on Trump's own voter base. [9:28] And she said now, quite famously, [9:31] when there was a lot of talk about the effects [9:33] of beef tariffs and beef imports coming in [9:35] and the effect that that had on ranchers, [9:37] the effect that that was not having [9:39] that they hoped on beef prices, [9:41] she said pick another protein. [9:44] Collin ran with that and made a viral ad about it saying, [9:48] well, why don't we pick another senator? [9:50] This is an example of not only a Republican caught off guard, [9:54] but Democrats caught not off guard, [9:57] whatever the opposite of that is. [9:59] Just really working it. [10:01] Yes, planning for it, working it. [10:04] And the effects of that Supreme Court decision [10:06] had reverberations around the South [10:09] and we saw that turnout come out [10:10] in full force because of that. [10:12] And so what are we waiting for right now in Mississippi? [10:14] Because I feel like he's had this 43-vote lead [10:18] for many hours now. [10:19] And what's really interesting in Mississippi, too, [10:22] there's an independent candidate in this race [10:24] who could actually be pulling from the Democrat. [10:27] This is a former Democrat who ran as an independent. [10:29] He's not getting enough to kind of show on this board just yet, [10:34] but still parts of the outstanding vote there. [10:37] But also, guys, you know, this is a huge story in and of itself, [10:41] but we called the Senate by midnight last night, [10:45] which just shows the size of this wave. [10:48] The other state that we're watching for, [10:50] and we're going to be there for a long time, you guys, is Alaska. [10:53] This, you know, there's a lot of different kinds of things going on here. [10:57] A 626-vote lead. [11:00] Exactly. [11:00] How close this is, and it's important in Alaska [11:03] because if no one gets 50%, [11:05] then it goes to that ranked choice voting system. [11:07] It's going to take probably a week or more [11:09] to count all these ballots coming in [11:11] because just given the nature of Alaska [11:13] and all of that's outstanding. [11:15] But this is super, super close. [11:17] Still, you know, a red state that, Nancy, you know, [11:20] the president had to go to in the last stretch. [11:21] And how many votes is the other Dan Sullivan getting right now? [11:25] You know, that's a good question. [11:26] Let's see if we can pull that up. [11:29] It's below 2%, so it's not showing here. [11:31] But again, you know, the fact that it is so close here. [11:36] Now, if Mary Paltola was clearing 50, [11:39] it wouldn't be this conversation. [11:41] And it just also shows that Alaskans knew [11:43] who the incumbent was and who the other Dan Sullivan was [11:47] when they went to the polls. [11:48] That was a big thing. [11:49] The president tried to legally challenge [11:51] what was happening in Alaska. [11:53] The Supreme Court said, no shot. [11:55] So here we are. [11:56] But, you know, the question going in was, [11:57] would we be waiting on Alaska to determine [11:59] the balance of power in the Senate? [12:01] And absolutely not. [12:02] This is going to be just icing on the cake or, you know, not. [12:05] Yeah, we may go home tonight. [12:07] Yeah, even though, I mean, it's just wild. [12:10] Caitlin, take your nerd hat off, [12:11] put your congressional correspondent hat on. [12:14] And, you know, we're getting some news already this morning, [12:17] the fallout from the change of power [12:19] where you have Mike Johnson, the House Speaker, [12:22] saying he's not going to run for minority leader. [12:25] Then you've got Steve Scalise, also a member of leadership, [12:27] also from Louisiana, [12:29] saying he will run for minority leader. [12:31] What is going on? [12:32] I mean, this is a position that Democrats have been in before. [12:35] Now Republicans are going to try to figure out their way [12:38] out of this wilderness, right? [12:40] What's happening in the conference right now [12:42] is that these numbers that we saw, [12:44] everybody knew that they were going to lose the House. [12:46] Republicans knew it, Democrats knew it. [12:48] But the size of this new Democratic majority [12:52] caught everyone off guard, especially Republicans [12:55] who were just not expecting double-digit gains [12:58] by Democrats in some of these races. [13:00] So Mike Johnson said today that he's not running [13:02] for minority leader Steve Scalise is, [13:04] but so is Jim Jordan of Ohio. [13:06] He wants to run for that leadership position. [13:09] And the big question hovering over all of that, of course, [13:11] is the Trump factor, right? [13:13] I mean, how do these congressional leaders [13:16] deal with the president who will still be in office [13:18] for another two years, [13:19] but the resounding message coming from voters, [13:22] and we saw this in our exit poll, [13:24] the reason that they were supporting Democrats, [13:26] a majority say to stop Trump and Republican policies. [13:30] Democrats have a lot of work to do [13:31] to figure themselves out as well. [13:33] Their coalition is big, but it is broad. [13:36] You have someone like Adam Hamilton in Kansas [13:39] and Abdul Al-Sayed in Michigan. [13:41] That is a broad coalition that can also be difficult to govern. [13:45] So a lot of work cut out for all of these folks. [13:47] Nancy and Caitlin, can I just ask you, [13:49] if you are a Republican who survived last night, [13:54] and let's say you're a United States Senator, [13:56] you've got another six years to go, [13:57] how much does Trump weigh in on the decisions that you make, [14:00] how you vote on certain issues? [14:02] Because he's no longer a factor as a lame duck, [14:05] especially if you've got, [14:06] you'll be still in office long after he's gone. [14:09] So think about it like this. [14:11] At the end of his first term, [14:13] when he was impeached, right, [14:15] and we already knew he had lost his bid for re-election, [14:18] he wasn't coming back to the White House. [14:20] And even then, there were only a few Republicans [14:24] who were willing in the Senate to vote to convict him [14:27] because they knew that he still had so much sway in the party, [14:32] so much influence on whether they themselves could get re-elected. [14:36] They were reluctant to cross him, [14:38] and that is a big part of the reason why he was able [14:40] to come back four years later and run again, [14:43] because he wasn't convicted by the Senate. [14:46] So I think you're going to see a lot of that now. [14:48] Senators who are still a little nervous [14:50] about how they handle him, [14:52] even though he is a lame duck, [14:53] even though he can't run again, [14:54] because he still has so much power with the base. [14:57] And, Nancy, I'm fascinated to watch [14:59] just the next 24, 25 days or so, [15:01] because that is the amount that this current Congress has [15:04] in terms of legislating. [15:06] Voters were saying that they are upset [15:07] about the impacts of high prices from the Iran war. [15:10] There are legislative proposals on the table right now [15:14] that Republicans could take [15:15] to try to rein in the president's power. [15:18] They didn't take that opportunity [15:19] in the last Congress, not enough of them did. [15:22] Do they change tune now [15:23] to at least send that message proactively? [15:25] We're also watching the Supreme Court, [15:28] because the map for Republicans [15:31] doesn't get any better in the next election, [15:33] and there is, you know, talk already, [15:36] and minority leader, soon-to-be minority leader, [15:39] I should say, John Thune on the Senate side [15:41] has said that he could fast-track a nomination [15:44] in this tight legislative period. [15:46] Somebody would have to retire, obviously. [15:47] Obviously, someone would have to retire, [15:49] but that's kind of what we're looking at here. [15:51] A lot of different strategies going on, [15:53] so there's the short-term picture, [15:56] and then, as Nancy mentioned, [15:57] the longer-term picture of how you move beyond this. [15:59] A Supreme Court confirmation battle [16:02] would throw all of Washington into chaos [16:03] over the next couple of months. [16:05] Caitlin Huey-Burns would be covering all of it. [16:08] Caitlin, thank you so much.