Trump's Defeat and the Future of Aid to Ukraine: What Impact Will a Democratic Victory in the US Have?

The November 3 midterm elections in the U.S. ended in a landslide victory for the Democrats: they gained control of both chambers of Congress, weakening the position of Donald Trump and his Republican Party. For the U.S. president, this means more difficult relations with lawmakers, potential investigations, and fewer opportunities to push through his own policies unimpeded. The election results may also affect support for Ukraine.

Experts attribute the Republicans’ defeat to Americans’ dissatisfaction with Trump’s policies, particularly the economic situation and rising prices. After the election, the president expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Democrats, but did not acknowledge the result as a personal defeat.

Meanwhile, disputes over future leadership within the Republican Party may intensify, while Ukraine’s allies in the U.S. will gain new opportunities to push for aid to Kyiv. Read on in this 24 Channel report to find out what the shift in the balance of power in Congress could mean for Trump and our country.

Democrats Gain Control of Congress: Republicans Suffer Defeat

The U.S. midterm elections have concludedthe Democratic Party's victory, with the Democrats seizing control of both chambers of Congress. This was a serious blow to the Republican Party, the MAGA movement, and Donald Trump personally.

According to the latest preliminary counts, Democrats have won 228 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, while Republicans have 139. A majority requires 218 seats. In the Senate, Democrats currently hold 54 seats – more than the required minimum of 51 – while Republicans hold 44. The final results may still change once the vote count is complete, but it appears the Democratic Party has the upper hand.

The Democrats won even in states that have traditionally supported the Republicans. Specifically, in Georgia, John Ossoff won a Senate seat, and in Texas, Democrat James Talarico won the race for a Senate seat.

The governorship in that state also went to a Democrat – for the first time since 1990 (that is, in the last century, back when Trump hadn’t even gone bankrupt yet – 24 Channel). In addition, the Democrats won a number of House districts in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Colorado.

U.S. House of Representatives election results / WSJ screenshot

As a result, the Democrats will control both chambers of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s presidency.

Why Americans Voted Against the Republicans

Yuriy Romanyuk, head of the civic organization “Ukraine in NATO,” believes that the Democrats’ victory should not be attributed primarily to the success of their campaign. In his view, the main reason for the Republicans’ defeat was the actions of Trump himself, who turned a significant portion of American society against him.

“This is not a credit to the Democratic Party, even though it may appear that way on the surface. It is solely the doing of U.S. President Trump. He did everything he could to make Americans hate MAGA and the Republican Party so much that they were simply torn to pieces,” 
he said.

Among the factors contributing to voter dissatisfaction, Romanyuk cites:

• inflation;
• high gas prices;
• the Gulf War;
• the deterioration of the U.S.’s international image;
• general disappointment with the policies of the president and his inner circle.

Edward Luce, a columnist for The Financial Times, offers a similar assessment. He notes that Trump himself turned the midterm elections into a referendum on his own presidency: he urged Americans to vote as if his name were also on the ballot and effectively took responsibility for the Republicans’ results.

According to the columnist, the widespread support for the Democrats dealt a serious blow to the president’s political influence.

Polls also indicate significant dissatisfaction among Americans. According to a CBS News survey, nearly 80% of respondents said they were willing to support the Democrats because they disagreed with Trump’s policies. And according to the AP Voter Poll, about 60% of voters viewed his performance negatively; furthermore, roughly three-quarters were dissatisfied or outraged by the situation in the country.

Americans reacted particularly strongly to economic problems: about 67% of respondents held the president’s administration responsible for rising prices. Approximately 70% wanted Congress to exert greater control over the head of state.

Trump acknowledged the Democrats’ victory, but for some reason does not consider it a defeat for his own policies

After the election results were announced, Trump declared a “ willingness to accept them and cooperate ” with the Democrats. However, he “ did not agree ” that the Republicans’ loss of seats in Congress reflects a negative assessment of his presidency.

In an interview with Fox News, the U.S. president admitted that he had expected a better result for his political party.

“I’m a little surprised. I thought they (the Republicans – 24 Channel) would do better,” 
he said, instantly forgetting that he had actively intervened in the campaign and effectively turned it into a vote of confidence in himself.

At the same time, Trump praised the Democrats for their election campaign and stated that he does not view the election results as a personal defeat, calling the last two years “the best in the history of the presidency.”

However, he continued to attribute the Republican candidates’ failures to the fact that he himself did not participate in the election.

"My name wasn’t on the ballot, and if it had been, we would have won by a landslide," 
– as stated on Truth Social.

Interestingly, prior to the election, Trump had threatened to block Democratic legislative initiatives and referred to himself as “the future "Mr. Veto".” After the Republicans’ defeat, he declared his readiness to negotiate with the new majority.

Trump’s Post / U.S. Leader’s Social Media

I have the right to veto everything, but I don’t want to just sit here for another two years, vetoing everything in sight. That’s why we’ll work with the Democrats to make sure everything goes well in our country. This is very important, – Trump noted.

How the Republicans’ defeat will limit Trump

The shift of control over Congress to the Democrats means it will be more difficult for the president to push through his own decisions. The new majority will be able to influence budget issues, the consideration of bills, and the confirmation of nominees for key government positions.

According to Romanyuk, Trump counted on retaining control of the Senate until the very end and did not believe the pollsters’ predictions.

The head of the civic organization “Ukraine in NATO” does not rule out the possibility that investigations could be launched against the president and members of his family. He also believes that attempts to destabilize the situation in the country could lead to impeachment.

“If you continue (referring to Trump – 24 Channel) with this circus and lead the country toward civil war, it will end with your immediate removal from office through impeachment, including in the Senate,” 
Romanyuk suggested.

At the same time, the president will retain significant powers in foreign policy. Sky News notes that, due to domestic political difficulties, Trump may make more active use of the international arena to strengthen his own position, in particular by holding talks with authoritarian leaders – Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Xi Jinping.

The White House appears to have been preparing for such a scenario in advance. According to Reuters, Trump’s team has been developing mechanisms that would allow the president to implement his own policies without congressional support. Among the options were unilateral decisions on immigration, trade, and federal spending, including the imposition of new tariffs and visa restrictions.

The Republican Party is beginning to look for a replacement for Trump

A defeat in the midterm elections could intensify internal strife within the Republican Party. The Financial Times suggests that the search for an alternative candidate for the 2028 presidential election could begin almost immediately.

Even former allies are voicing criticism of the president. Trump’s former adviser John Bolton believes that the president is using the Republican Party for his own purposes, and that his policies do not align with traditional Republican ideology.

One of the most prominent Republican supporters during the campaign was Elon Musk. According to estimates by The New York Times, the businessman spent $474 million to support the party’s candidates. He directed significant funds toward Republican Ken Paxton’s campaign in Texas, but Democrat James Talarico won the Senate seat in that state. After the results were announced, Musk wrote ironically:

“Looks like my space lasers for election interference didn’t work this time,” 
– Musk said after the results were announced, trying to brush it off as a joke, but it was clearly laughter through tears.

How the Democrats’ victory could affect support for Ukraine

The Democrats’ takeover of Congress could create new opportunities for Ukraine in its relations with the U.S. However, the change in the majority alone does not guarantee the automatic resumption of military and financial aid at the levels Kyiv received during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Yuriy Romanyuk considers the election results positive for Ukraine, but emphasizes that Ukrainian diplomacy needs to maintain ties with both U.S. political parties.

“It is very important for us to have support in both the House and the Senate. There are many friends of Ukraine even among Republicans,” 
he emphasized.

Romanyuk warns against public confrontation with Trump and stresses that diplomats should handle the bulk of the work with the U.S. administration and lawmakers.

Amendments to the U.S. budget bill must be voted on in February so that Ukraine receives military and financial aid – at least $30–40 billion during the 2027 fiscal year, 
– emphasized the head of the NGO “Ukraine in NATO.”

Control over the legislative chambers will allow Democrats to set the agenda for bills and push forward a new aid package for Ukraine. However, they will not be able to single-handedly determine the entire U.S. foreign policy, as the president will continue to hold significant powers.

Among other priorities for Ukrainian diplomacy, Romanyuk cites strengthening sanctions against Russia, increasing U.S. arms deliveries, and preservingaccess to Starlink. In his view, the new Congress should use its influence to persuade Elon Musk and prevent any restrictions on the system’s operation for Ukraine.

However, it is important for Kyiv not to lose the support of Republicans, who remain Ukraine’s allies. Following leadership changes in congressional and Senate committees, cooperation with Democrats will become particularly important, but relations with both parties must be maintained.

At the same time, Ukraine may lose some of its pro-Ukrainian allies in Congress. One telling example is the defeat of Victoria Spartz, a Republican representative who was born in the Chernihiv region. After the start of the full-scale invasion, her position on aid to Ukraine changed, and she subsequently voted against providing it. In this election, Spartz lost to Democrat J.D. Ford.

In summary, the Democrats’ victory is likely to create more favorable political conditions for Ukraine in the U.S., but it does not guarantee an automatic increase in aid. For Kyiv, the key is to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the new majority, secure funding, and maintain bipartisan support, as the president will continue to wield significant influence over the country’s foreign policy.