Democrats Sweep Congress as Trump Ends Military Aid to Israel

The Democratic Party won control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in the November 4, 2026, midterm elections. Democrats secured 54 Senate seats and 228 House seats, a shift in power that allows them to challenge the foreign policy of President Donald Trump through budget controls and investigations into Pentagon contractors.

Concurrent with the elections, Donald Trump announced the termination of approximately $4 billion in annual military assistance to Israel by the end of 2026. Trump described the aid as a political liability and a "bad talking point," arguing that Israel no longer needs the funds. Vice President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to voter dissatisfaction with the war against Iran and the U.S. relationship with Israel, though Trump maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is the only long-term answer.

The election results included victories for progressive candidates who campaigned against Israeli military aid, most notably Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Troy Jackson in Maine. El-Sayed's victory occurred despite a multimillion-dollar effort by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to oppose his candidacy. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee reported that over 234 pro-Israel candidates won their races, but critics characterized the losses of key Republicans as a failure of the group's electoral influence.

In Israel, the results sparked alarm among media outlets and opposition leaders, who accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of isolating the country internationally. This instability follows an inconclusive Israeli national election where Netanyahu's bloc failed to secure a majority in the Knesset.