US midterms live: Trump blames Iran war for staggering loss; JD Vance breaks ranks

Ahead of this election, Republicans in a series of red states redrew their maps to stop Democrats getting elected.

It's a move known as gerrymandering - where politicians draw their own districts to benefit their own party.

In Texas, Florida, Ohio, Alabama, North Carolina,  Tennessee and Louisiana, the map was redrawn to cost Democrats their seats.

And it hasn't worked.

In Texas, Democrats held onto four of the five seats they previously held, and picked up another two.

In Florida, it appears they will retain all their seats, while half a dozen Republican seats have been endangered.

And in North Carolina, the redrawn seat will likely be held by the Democrat, while the party leads in another five seats previously held by Republicans. Another seat is a confirmed Democratic pickup.

Meanwhile, California redrew its map to counter Republican moves in Texas. Democrats have now picked up five seats.

If someone is gloating harder than Democrats at midterm results, it's former MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Elected as a bonafide Trump backer, Taylor Greene is now tearing into the president on X.

"Imagine thinking talking about people’s asses was good campaign strategy.

"And the stupid trained baby seals clapped along praising and giggling about the weird comments by the president."

Taylor Greene was referencing Trump's comments about the physique of Senator Jon Husted, who was defeated yesterday.

"The Republican Party has a woman problem," she added.

"Rightfully so! 

"Trump refused to fight for rape victims and protected pedo elites then called everyone his 'former supporters' for demanding the release of the files. 

"It’s all so bad and it’s not going away."

An elder statesman of the Republican party said the race to replace Donald Trump is now "wide open" after the midterms.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich said the results were harmful to JD Vance's chances.

"If the administration had won a big victory, Vice President J D Vance would have had an enormous argument to be the inevitable nominee. 

"Now, with this go-slow strategy blowing up in Iran and his defence of Vivek Ramaswamy's horrible, inhumane ad featuring his opponent's mother attacking her own daughter, a good bit of the lustre has come off the bloom. 

"The number of people who want to draft Secretary of State Marco Rubio is staggering. 

"In addition, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Ron DeSantis, Pete Hegseth, Glenn Youngkin, and a surprising number of people may decide this is their chance to take advantage of the chaos of the shocking defeat and seek to be the champion who can rescue the party and the country."

While Vance has not thrown his hat into the ring, he is widely expected to make his own run for the presidency in 2028.

This might be a first.

A nephew will join his aunt in the House of Representatives in the next Congress.

Sam Forstag declared victory in Montana's first district after defeating the Republican incumbent.

He was congratulated by his aunt Susie Lee, who represents a seat in the Las Vegas area.

"I want to congratulate my nephew, Sam Forstag, who gives Montanans hope that this country can work for working people," she wrote on X.

"I am beyond proud."

Forstag is a smokejumper, a firefighter who parachutes into remote wilderness to battle fires.

An Alabama Democrat has become her state's first transgender state legislator after she defeated a Republican incumbent.

Allison Montgomery won the Alabama House of Representatives district that Donald Trump had won three times.

A statement posted on Instagram made no mention of the historic nature of her victory.

"I know the headlines tomorrow are gonna be provocative and catchy, but let's focus on the most important part of this victory: we showed that a truly grassroots campaign that stands on its policies and its principles has a real shot in Alabama," she wrote.

"I'm going to work especially hard for those who hate me, because they deserve a better Alabama as much as anyone."

Democratic governor-elect of Ohio Amy Acton didn’t take a concession call from her Republican opponent, billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, multiple sources have reported.

Ramaswamy, who lost to Acton overnight, left a message for her on voicemail but Acton had no plans to return the call, a source told CNN.

The Republican, a former presidential candidate, drew wide condemnation when he enlisted Acton’s estranged mother for a campaign advertisement, in which she called Acton a habitual liar.

The advertisement did not disclose that Acton’s stepfather, her mother’s partner, had been indicted for abusing her and her mother had lost custody of Acton and her brother.

Trump and Vance both backed the ad but, publicly and privately, other Republicans condemned it.

In his concession speech, Ramaswamy said the campaign at times had been "bitter on both sides".

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could be facing impeachment long before the Democrats officially take control of Congress.

Newly elected senators and representatives will be sworn in early January, but current Republican representative and Trump rebel Thomas Massie told CNN he plans to trigger an impeachment vote on Hegseth when Congress returns next week.

Massie planned to do so before Speaker Mike Johnson put Congress into recess ahead of schedule.

But this side of the midterms, the motion looks less like a fruitless gesture.

Multiple Republican sources have reportedly said they expect the impeachment measure to pass the House if not the Senate, with the party settling on Hegseth as somebody to blame for the Iran war’s lengthy duration.

Republicans up and down the United States are continuing to come to terms with the shellacking they took in the midterms yesterday.

One Republican who represented the17th District in New York for the House of Representatives was defeated by Democrat Cait Conley.

He was one of 29 incumbent Republicans to lose to Democratic opponents.

Lawler gave a damning indictment on what happened, despite claiming he ran a "strong campaign."

"Jesus Christ could have run and would have lost,” Lawler told CNN."

He said the party's unpopularity in suburban districts, like the one he was running in, was the primary contributor to his defeat.

First the ballroom, and now daylight savings have occupied Trump’s time today.

“Too bad the Senate has not yet approved the Sunshine Protection Act or, the I Don’t Want to Change My Clocks Anymore Act,” Trump posted on Truth Social, complaining that it was dark at 5.31pm in Washington DC.

“Just a few days ago it was so nice and sunny at this same time. In addition, everyone’s been running around changing their clocks all over the place.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this prior to the Election because I didn’t want to have certain Senators lose their Race, in a landslide, but it is too bad they can’t get it done.

“The House sent it over to the Senate with great bipartisan support, numerous times (308-117), but the Senate didn’t take it up. We have far bigger priorities, but I will keep fighting for this!”