The Democrats have won the US midterms with the biggest margin since the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal half a century ago.
Donald Trump’s Republicans have been ousted from both houses of parliament in an historic rout, opening the door to corruption probes into the President, his family members and administration officials.
The Democrats, who will control both the Senate and Congress, are preparing investigations and to use their newfound subpoena powers to probe what one has labelled the “Trump Crime Family”.
Reportedly also in their sights are “crony” business leaders, and matters involving deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The sweeping midterms landslide upends the US political system — although Trump remains president for two more years — and raises questions about the ascendency of the far-right globally.
“The landslide raises questions about the ascendency of the far-right globally”
The Democrats have won the House in the largest victory by either side in half a century. Source: NYT
Trump, who has used the presidency to personally profit by billons of dollars, is widely viewed by scholars as the most corrupt president in US history.
Notorious Republican President Nixon, ousted over Watergate in 1974, is widely cited by experts as the second most corrupt, followed by Republican Warren G. Harding, president from 1921-1923.
“We haven’t seen a sweep like this in 50 years,” said New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker.
“Not only did he lose control of both houses of congress but the popular vote with the margin of victory for the Democrats was the largest we’ve seen since 1976.
“And that of course was the aftermath of Watergate, just two years after Richard Nixon had to resign in disgrace.”
The margin of victory was vastly larger — almost twice as large — as the Republican landslide of 1994, against the Bill Clinton presidency.
It was also almost twice as large as the Republican win over President Obama’s Democrats in 2010, which Obama called a “shellacking”.
“Trump is widely viewed as the most corrupt president in US history”
Whether the outcome signals are reversal of far-right ascendency elsewhere, including Australia and parts of Europe, will be closely watched.
“The Democrats have won the largest house election victory by either side in half a century”
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Trump addresses White House construction workers in Washington DC today. Picture: Annabelle Gordon/POOL
In Australia, the biggest funder of the far-right One Nation, and of far-right lobby group Advance, is multi-billionaire, and prominent Trump advocate, Gina Rinehart.
In response to a request for comment from Rinehart on the midterms result, The Klaxon received the following statement:
“Your continued obsession with Mrs Rinehart and repeatedly seeking to insert her into stories that have nothing to do with her is unhealthy.
“Please publish our response in full.”
The statement contained no name and was instead signed-off only “Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL)”.
Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting refused to provide any name to go with their statement.
The response strongly echoes tactics used by the Trump administration against media.
Trump has been found guilty of 34 felony convictions (including falsifying business documents), has engaged in extensive intermingling of his private business dealings and his presidential office — and tried to overturn the 2020 US election, falsely claiming it was rigged.
Former US President Richard Nixon, who announced his resignation in 1974, famously declared “I’m not a crook”. Source: US Library of Congress
Despite widespread alleged corruption involving the current White House, Democrats have been hamstrung with both houses under Republican control.
Oversight committees in both the house and the Senate have the power to launch investigations, and subpoena witnesses, yet moves to investigate the president have generally been stymied by Republicans.
Now the Democrats have flagged investigations by both houses, after Congress and the new Senators are sworn-in on January 3.
Democrat lower-house member Robert Garcia, a Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, accused the administration of corruption and said the “Trump Crime Family” needed to “lawyer up”.
The Trump family has denied engaging in any illegality.
While the Democrats will control both houses, Trump still has veto power, meaning he can reject any legislation put forward.
House and Senate investigative committees can subpoena witnesses, however it is up to the Department of Justice to enforce any non-compliance.
It is also up to the Department of Justice to take action against alleged perpetrators of illegal corruption.
The Department of Justice is an executive department of the US Federal Government and so answers to the US president.
The US landslide raises questions over the ascendancy of the far-right globally, including Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in Australia. Source: The Klaxon
Unlike Australia, where the Prime Minister is appointed by the party with a lower house majority, in the US, lower house candidates and the president are voted on separately.
That means both houses can be Democrat controlled under a Republican president, and vice-versa.
In the US, the entire lower house is up for election every two years, a key reason the midterms are so important.
US Senators have six year terms. Roughly a third of Senators are up for election each two years, at each midterm and at each general election.
At the US general election, to be held in November 2028, voters will elect a President, the entire lower-house and the roughly one-third of Senators whose terms expire.
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Thank you!
Anthony Klan
Editor, The Klaxon
