{"id":7150,"date":"2025-11-05T16:35:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T16:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/11\/05\/democrats-roll-to-victory-as-trump-blames-gop-losses-on-shutdown-live-updates-usa-today\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T16:35:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T16:35:24","slug":"democrats-roll-to-victory-as-trump-blames-gop-losses-on-shutdown-live-updates-usa-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/11\/05\/democrats-roll-to-victory-as-trump-blames-gop-losses-on-shutdown-live-updates-usa-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats roll to victory as Trump blames GOP losses on shutdown: Live updates – USA Today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After riding high for months, President Donald Trump<\/a> saw the MAGA zeal surrounding his aggressive second term collide with a growing backlash that helped deliver a wave of Democratic victories<\/a> in off-year races, setting the stage for a big midterm clash as the parties begin plotting next steps on the day after the election.<\/p>\n

Democrats swept statewide contests in Virginia, New Jersey, California and Pennsylvania and racked up victories in lower profile races, leaving party leaders jubilant and eager to declare the election a referendum on Trump.<\/p>\n

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the results are a “repudiation of the Trump agenda.” The president, meanwhile, blamed GOP loses<\/a> on the government shutdown and the fact that he wasn’t on the ballot.<\/p>\n

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Trump loomed large over the contests<\/a>, which served as the first big opportunity to measure voter sentiment since the president won every swing state and the popular vote. The outcome couldn’t have been better for Democrats, who have been desperate to rebound from their 2024 thumping.<\/p>\n

Democrats Abigail Spanberger in Virginia<\/a> and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey<\/a> won their races for governor by wide margins in states where Trump had made gains in 2024, and California voters resoundingly approved a ballot measure aimed at checking Trump’s efforts to draw more favorable midterm maps. The party saw a slate of new leaders emerge, most notably 34-year-old New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, who energized young voters with a progressive agenda that drew Trump’s ire.<\/p>\n

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The Democrat romp came as Trump’s approval rating sags and 61% of voters in a new CNN\/SSRS poll<\/a> disapprove of his handling of a government shutdown that is now the longest in U.S. history.<\/p>\n

The president is meeting with GOP senators at the White House today to discuss the shutdown and his demand to end the Senate\u2019s filibuster rule<\/a>, which would allow the GOP to pass legislation to reopen the government without Democrat votes.<\/p>\n

Mamdani taps five women to lead his transition team<\/h2>\n

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced five people for a transition team Wednesday morning that includes leaders in government and nonprofits. All were women.<\/p>\n

Elana Leopold, one of Mamdani\u2019s top campaign advisors, will be the executive director of the transition team.<\/p>\n

He also announced four co-chairs:<\/p>\n