Inside the GOP’s midterm bloodbath

Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed speaks onstage at an election night party at in Detroit, Michigan, early on November 4, 2026. | Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images It’s hard to put into words how good Tuesday night was for Democrats: “Blue wave” falls short, and even “bluenami” may not be apt for an election in which Republicans lost Senate races in Kansas and South Carolina, along with every major statewide race in Texas and too many more to count across the country — often in places that voted for President Donald Trump by double digits just two years ago.  But one thing is abundantly clear, Vox’s Astead Herndon argues: This was “the best night that Democrats could have hoped for. And more importantly, I think, a resounding rejection of this administration from the American public.”  Astead spoke with Today, Explained co-host Sean Rameswaram on Tuesday morning to discuss Democrats’ overwhelming victory, how it happened, and the races they were watching most closely as the results rolled in.  They also discussed where the Democratic Party goes next with 2028 already on the horizon and what the results mean for Trump, who’s now facing two years as a lame duck with “no space to hide” from his...