CBS News chief Washington analyst Robert Costa breaks down what the 2025 elections mean for the future of both political parties ahead of next year's crucial midterms.

Washington

Chief Washington Analyst Robert Costa analyzed the implications of the 2025 election results for both major U.S. political parties. He highlighted that Democrats learned to emphasize economic issues and affordability, using outcomes in states like Virginia, New York, and New Jersey as a strategic guide for the 2026 midterms.

Costa also noted that while President Trump was not the sole factor in voters' decisions, his presence and actions continue to influence the political landscape. Democrats generally avoided making the elections a referendum on Trump, but his role remains significant as both parties prepare for the next election cycle.

What 2025 elections mean for Democrats, Republicans in 2026 midterms

Let's bring in now our Chief Washington Analyst Robert Costa to talk about what all this means for the future. Bob, good morning to you. I love watching election nights. It was not a late night. Most of the results came in at a pretty decent hour, so I know you were up watching, too. It's one of your favorite nights. What do these signal for both the Democrats and the Republicans? Great to be with you, Gail. Talking to sources this morning and late last night, a lot of lessons learned, and the main one for Democrats is to talk about the issue of economics and to talk about affordability, whether it's in Virginia or it's in New York City or it's in New Jersey. They believe they have a path ahead now to the midterm elections because of what happened last night. Those elections provide a roadmap, a guidebook for candidates as they look to 2026, but not just talking about President Trump, but talking about issues that matter to working voters, those same working voters who are won over in many parts of the country by President Trump. So far, the only reaction we've heard from the president are the words, so it begins about the race results. What if anything else are you hearing that he's saying now? Gail, that is the president's perspective, but CBS News exit polling shows that President Trump may not have been the factor in every single voter's decision on Tuesday night, but it was something that loomed over many people's decisions. He is the incumbent president. Some people feel unsettled about the economy, clearly, in the states that had elections last night. At the same time, Democrats did not talk about President Trump across the board. They were not trying to make this an obsession election about President Trump, but he is a factor. He's testing executive power on so many fronts, and there's no way he's not part of the conversation, whether it's this week or next year. All right, Bob, to be continued for sure. Thank you very much.

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Visayas

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Ukraine Invasion

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Cairo

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Breakdown