Joe Biden praises midterms as control of Congress remains undecided

Joe Biden has set the best result for a president in two decades in the US midterm elections, as a “livid” Donald Trump turned on his inner circle. See latest.

Joe Biden will not change anything about his presidency even as he is on the verge of losing control of Congress, saying he had a “sigh of relief” that his Democrats defied expectations.

As the counting continues in the midterm elections, the Republicans remain in the box seat to claim a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, sparking two years of divided government in the United States.

But the Democratic performance is the best result for a president in the midterms in two decades, prompting Mr Biden to declare: “It was a good day for democracy and I think it was a good day for America.”

“While the press and the pundits were predicting a giant red wave, it didn’t happen,” the President said.

Former president Donald Trump has reportedly been “screaming at everyone”. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

Donald Trump, who is preparing to launch his third presidential run next week, has reportedly been “screaming at everyone” after several of his candidates crashed out.

Mr Biden, in a rare press conference the day after the election, confirmed he intended to run again in 2024 but said it was “ultimately a family decision” he hoped to make early next year.

Asked about the two-thirds of Americans who said they did not want him to seek a second term, Mr Biden told them: “Watch me.”

He acknowledged voters were “frustrated” after a “really tough few years”, saying they had been clear about their concerns on inflation, crime, democracy and abortion.

President Joe Biden congratulating Democrats who have run their midterm elections. Picture: POTUS

Mr Biden said he would not change his approach because his agenda was popular and Americans were “just finding out what we’re doing”, although he offered to “work across the aisle” with the Republicans in control of the House.

“I’m open to any good ideas,” he said.

In a lengthy press conference, Mr Biden also suggested new Twitter owner Elon Musk’s relationships with foreign entities needed to be looked at, mistakenly referred to Fallujah in Iraq instead of Kherson in Ukraine, and said he would discuss America’s “red lines” on Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 summit.

Control of the Senate may not be decided for a month, with voters in Georgia to be sent back to the polls in December after neither candidate reached 50 per cent, while the races in Arizona and Nevada remain too close to call.

The Republicans need to win two of those three to own 51 of the Senate’s 100 seats. If the pre-election 50-50 deadlock in the Senate is repeated, the Democrats will retain control as Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie-breaking vote.

With 218 seats needed to control the 435-seat House of Representatives, 206 races have been called for the Republicans by the Associated Press and 182 for the Democrats, with 47 still up for grabs.

Democratic losses in New York proved central to their undoing in the House, with even Sean Patrick Maloney – the boss of the party’s campaign committee – knocked out of his seat.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claims an emphatic victory. Picture: AFP

Mr Trump was reported to be privately livid at the results, especially the defeat of his Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz in what was a Republican-held seat.

He reportedly blamed that on his wife Melania as “not her best decision”.

On social media, the former president said the election was “somewhat disappointing” but “from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory” as his candidates won 219 races – largely in safe Republican seats – and lost 16.

Mr Trump declared: “Who has ever done better than that?”

Republican elder and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Ron DeSantis – who secured a re-election landslide victory as Florida’s Governor – was “the single biggest winner of the night”.

“(He will) almost certainly become the rallying point for everybody in the Republican Party who wants to move beyond President Trump,” Mr Gingrich said.

Exit polls on election day showed Mr Trump’s approval ratings were even worse than Mr Biden’s, with just 39 per cent happy with the former president compared to 44 per cent approving of his successor.