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How the president's party has fared in every US midterm since 1946
Democrats need to gain three House seats and four Senate seats on Tuesday; history says the president's party rarely escapes a midterm unpunished.
On air: Gloria Vance and Kenji Moonfield on BBN After HoursPublished
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBNWatch it as it aired: Gloria Vance and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN After Hours at 3:45 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Al Jazeera's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Al Jazeera: “How the president’s party has fared in every US midterm election since 1946”, with reporting from uspollingdata.com and Wikipedia.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, November 2, 2026, at 3:45 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Gloria Vance and Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: US.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- Al JazeeraHow the president’s party has fared in every US midterm election since 1946
- uspollingdata.com2026 House Elections — Battleground Districts & Democratic Path to Majority facts used on air
- Wikipedia2026 United States House of Representatives elections facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorIn the past twenty midterm elections, the president's party has lost House seats eighteen times, and Al Jazeera's review says polls suggest this year will not be the third exception.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentEighteen out of twenty. What were the other two?
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorNineteen ninety-eight and two thousand two, according to one polling analysis, tied to the Clinton impeachment backlash and the September eleventh rally. Both required history to intervene.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the only way to win a midterm is a national crisis. That's a terrible campaign slogan.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorDonald Trump's first midterm cost Republicans forty-two seats in twenty eighteen, and Democrats lost sixty-four in twenty ten.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorEvery party has had its turn at the podium to explain it.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentVoting day is Tuesday, and the House math is three seats for Democrats.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFour for the Senate. History is on their side, and they're still not saying it out loud.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the safest bet in Washington is the president's party sending flowers to the House before Tuesday.
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Photo: Office of the Prime Minister of Japan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Orderinchaos · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: https://silverscreen.in · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Thomas Wolf · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Daniel Torok · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, November 2, 2026 · the World archive · all months
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