The Heat: Trump has real opposition to his policies for the first time

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The results of the US midterm elections have split Congress between the two parties. The Democratic Party controls the House of Representatives, while the Republican Party held onto the Senate.

The 2018 midterm elections have also set a number of historical records. At least 97 women have won seats in the House, 75 of which are Democrats.

The first two Muslim women have taken seats in Congress. Both of them are Democrats.

The self-described socialist Alexandria Ocasio Cortez becomes the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to her supporters during her election night party in the Queens Borough of New York, the US, Nov. 6, 2018./VCG Photo

The high voter turnout rate in this election can be seen as a reflection of voter dissatisfaction on the current administration's stance on women, equality and immigration.

Amy Holmes, the co-host of the PBS program “In Principle”, stated that President Trump's rhetoric and emphasis on issues was alienating to a lot of female voters. “Those suburban women who typically would be a bit more conservative – married, white with children – typically vote Republican,” said Holmes.

These midterm elections have revealed a huge shift of allegiance by independent voters and by women in suburban areas. Democrats seized control of the House of Representatives fundamentally shifting the balance of power in Washington, DC. This factor will likely to be a major issue leading into the 2020 presidential election.

Regarding the results, Frank Sesno, the director of George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs, stated that he was surprised that the Republicans did much better than expected and Democrats did worse.

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With Republicans maintaining control of the Senate shows that President Trump still has a sufficient majority to ensure the appointment of his executive and judicial officials.

However, the Democrats controlling the House of Representatives is due to the support of the well-educated suburban voters who have voted for the Republicans in the past. It reflects that voters are dissatisfied with the President Trump's policies and rhetoric.

There is expected to be greater oversight of the president, now that Republicans don't control Congress. Democrats have the power of the subpoena. They can ask President Trump disclose his tax return, investigate possible conflicts of interest in his business empire and dig deep evidence in the investigation on Russian interference in US elections.

Amy Holmes pointed out that the key issue is whether the Democrats in the House want to legislate or investigate.

In terms of legislation, the Democrats would like to get basically Obamacare and get a deal on immigration to preserve its status. In terms of investigation, the Democrats would like to release President Trump's tax returns and take on an oversight role.

The Heat with Anand Naidoo is a 30-minute political talk show on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 7:00 a.m. BJT and 7:00 p.m. Eastern in the United States.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, contact us at opinions@cgtn.com)