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Democrats' big win in US midterm elections: What it means for President Trump

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BBC Correspodnent Nada Tawfik explains what happened overnight

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In an important vote, called the midterm elections, Donald Trump's Republican party has lost control of the House and is predicted to also lost the Senate.

The opposition party - the Democrats - won key states like Iowa, Texas, Ohio and Kansas, which are usually reliably Republican.

There are still some votes to be announced, such as in Michigan and Alaska, where voting has only just finished.

The result doesn't change who the President is, and Donald Trump will stay in charge until his term ends in January 2029.

Donald Trump at a rally standing in front of a microphone with an out of focus US flag behind himImage source, Getty Images
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Donald Trump had been holding rallies around the US to try and get people to vote for his party in the midterms

What do the midterms results mean?

It does mean President Trump will find passing laws more difficult, as the Democrats now lead the places where laws are made in America.

Donald Trump has said to American TV channel Fox News the Democrats "did a good job", but that he's "a little surprised" at the result.

He's also said there's lots of things his Republican Party can work together on with the Democrats, although he has previously said he'd get in the way of things Democrats try and do.

The Democrats may now choose to use their new power to launch investigations into President Trump.

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What are the mid terms?

The midterms are a vote for the group of people who make the laws, also called the legislature, which the Republicans currently control.

While it's not a time for voting for or against the president, many saw it as an opportunity to have their say about how Donald Trump's time in charge is going.

Capitol building with a small American flagImage source, Getty Images
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Senate and the House both sit in Capitol, a. building in Washington in the US

The legislature, or Congress, is split into two parts - the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Now Donald Trumps' Republican Party are predicted to lose control of both, they may find it harder to get laws passed, as the Democrats have to agree on anything that gets suggested.

What were the big issues?

Many saw the midterms as a way of expressing how they feel about Donald Trump's time as President so far, and as such, it seems a lot of people are not happy.

One big issue is the war in Iran, which is pushing up prices of things like petrol.

Newsround spoke to two children in Texas, Caston and Catniss, and they said the price of gas as it;'s known in the US is something everyone's talking about.

Caston says that "people are angry", and Catniss says that "you can hear the teachers gossiping about it from all the way down the hall".

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US midterms: We speak to kids in Texas about election issues

Another big topic for voters is immigration, something that Catniss and Caston have different opinions on.

Caston says: "I think [President Trump] has done a good job because he's been keeping our borders closed so people can be safe and keep our country safe."

But Catniss says that "[President] Trump has not handled it very well."

What happened?

hakeem Jeffries raising a fist on stage as he speaks after the US midtermsImage source, EPA
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The House Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries said the American people had made it clear they'd "had enough"

The House of Representatives announced a Democrat majority first, and it later became clear they'd probably win the Senate too.

Democrats won Senate races in states like South Carolina, Kansas and Texas, which are seats that Republicans have held for a long time.

For example, Kansas hasn't had a Democratic Senator for almost 100 years.

What are people saying?

President Donald Trump has said he's "a little surprised" at the result, but that the opposition "did a good job" and said there are "many, many things" that he could work with them on.

However previously, he also said if the Democrats won big he'd become "Mr Veto", meaning he would stop any law the Democrats tried to pass with his Presidential powers.

Former Democrat President Barack Obama said on social media: "Tonight, the American people sent a clear message — they want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face."

James talrico with lots of supporters at s rally after his winImage source, Reuters
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James Talarico won in Texas, usually a very Republican area

James Talarico has been elected the first Democratic Texas senator in more than three decades.

He told a rally in Austin: "We just took back Texas... We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love."

Talarico says he has always "bet on young people", "bet on immigrants" and "bet on the underdog".