Former US President Barack Obama has called on Democrats to use their control of Congress to make changes and lay the groundwork for the future.
Democrats won full control of the US Congress in a sweeping mid-term rout Tuesday, with a landslide of upsets that delivered a crushing rebuke of President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
Obama said the victory was a “clear message” from the American people.
“They want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them, and leaders who offer concrete solutions to the challenges they face,” he said.
Obama threw his political weight behind Democrats in key battleground states, rallying voters to rein in Trump and casting the mid-terms as a crucial chance to curb his administration’s excesses.
“These results were only possible because outstanding candidates stepped forward in every region of the country — including in areas once considered long shots,” Obama said in a statement.
“They came from different backgrounds and represented a range of political perspectives, but were united by shared values, a belief in public service, and a commitment to putting the people of their districts and states first.”
Obama noted that the Trump administration has another two years in office, “our job now is to roll up our sleeves, make changes wherever we have the power to do so, prevent further damage, and lay the groundwork for the future”.
Trump watched returns come in from the White House East Room, where the mood was described as tense.
He was silent on Truth Social for three hours Tuesday night as Democrats kept flipping seats blue.
He later posted: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
