‘Hazardous waste’: Iran embassy mocks Trump as Democrats capture US Congress in Midterm elections

Tehran: Iran's Embassy has taken a sharp swipe at US President Donald Trump after his Republican Party suffered major setbacks in the 2026 midterm elections, with Democrats capturing control of both chambers of Congress.

In a mocking social media post, the embassy shared a visual showing an object labelled ‘Trump’ being thrown into a bin marked ‘Hazardous Waste’.

The post came as Democrats made significant gains across the country, handing Tehran another opportunity to take a dig at Washington amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Democrats seized control of the US Congress on Tuesday, capturing both the Senate and the House of Representatives in a sweeping nationwide rejection of Trump. The victory is expected to constrain the final two years of his presidency.

The Democratic landslide will give the opposition party the power to block legislation, launch investigations into the Trump administration and thwart his judicial and senior government appointments.

The results reflected widespread anger over the cost of living, tariffs and Trump's war against Iran, which has sent fuel prices soaring and added to dissatisfaction with an already deeply unpopular president.

"I'm just so happy. I'm so eager," 22-year-old paralegal Michael Diaz said in Georgia, celebrating a major victory by rising Democratic star Jon Ossoff in the Senate.

Trump struck a conciliatory note despite his history of questioning election results, telling The New York Times that he was "absolutely willing" to accept the outcome.

"I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do," the 80-year-old told Fox News, in rare praise for his political opponents. "They fought hard."

However, he sought to distance himself from his party's poor performance, adding that "I don't view it as a hit on me."

He acknowledged that the conflict with Iran had contributed to the defeat while defending the military campaign. He also suggested that the rival parties could find common ground on immigration, one of the most divisive issues of his presidency.

Republican strongholds fall

Democrats flipped seats long held by Republicans, making significant gains in South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Texas and Maine.

In Maine, former logger Troy Jackson defeated longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, becoming the party's seventh Senate gain from Republicans.

In Kansas, Methodist minister Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the traditionally conservative state since 1932. Iowa had not elected a Democratic senator since 2008.

Texas Democrat James Talarico declared that he had defeated "Goliath" after winning a Senate seat, while Gina Hinojosa unseated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, ending decades of Republican rule in the state.

Democrats also retained key Senate seats, including Ossoff's in Georgia and an open seat in New Hampshire.

The scale of the victory grew further when Abdul El-Sayed defeated former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the upper chamber of Congress.

"Michigan, we did it!" El-Sayed said in a speech at his election headquarters in Detroit.

El-Sayed won despite a last-minute setback in his campaign when Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who had lost the Democratic primary to him, backed Rogers shortly before the election.

Democrats also made gains in the House of Representatives across Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and New Jersey, including in districts Trump had comfortably won in 2024.

In one closely watched bellwether contest, Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz in Indiana, winning a district Trump had carried by 17 percentage points two years earlier.

Democrats also won Georgia's governorship, electing former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black woman governor in US history.

Republicans found some consolation in Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds became the state's first Black governor and Ashley Moody retained a Senate seat, although both faced unexpectedly strong challenges from Democrats.

The night was "a big wipeout and a strong repudiation of Donald Trump and his policies," George Washington University professor Todd Belt told AFP.

Trump faces congressional pushback

Democratic control of Congress will allow the party to pursue investigations into the war against Iran, immigration enforcement and allegations of corruption, while blocking Trump's legislative agenda and senior appointments.

Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, who is now expected to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, warned Republicans on social media: "LAWYER UP."

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared that Trump's MAGA movement was "on the run from sea to shining sea."

Jeffries could become the first Black speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes in January.

Despite his conciliatory remarks, Trump insisted on social media that Republicans would have won "IN A LANDSLIDE" if he had been on the ballot. He had repeatedly urged supporters throughout the campaign to "pretend I'm on the ballot."

He also renewed his threat to use the presidential veto against laws passed by Democrats, posting a picture on social media of a red baseball cap bearing a single word: "VETO."