Trump vows to work with Democrats but has yet to call Schumer or Jeffries after midterm rout

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Wednesday that President Donald Trump had yet to call them, despite the president’s pledge to work with Democrats after their sweeping midterm victories.“No, not yet,” Schumer said when asked during a victory press conference whether he had heard from Trump following Tuesday’s elections.At his own press conference lauding the results, Jeffries also disclosed that he had not heard from the president yet. “I have not heard from President Trump. It’s my understanding that Leader Schumer has not heard from President Trump,” Jeffries said. “I look forward to talking to the members of the House Democratic Caucus when we convene early next week.”The lack of contact comes after Trump struck a conciliatory tone during a late-night Fox News interview, expressing a willingness to work with his political opponents on immigration reform and other issues after Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress.“Believe it or not, I’ve already spoken to some of them,” Trump said during the interview. “Two senators and three congressmen, actually. So it’s a total of five, and I have three waiting to call me.”Trump did not identify the lawmakers he had spoken with.Democrats are poised to hold at least 54 Senate seats beginning in January after a stunning election night that saw the party score victories in traditionally Republican strongholds, including South Carolina and Kansas. The party also won control of the House, setting up a divided government for the final two years of Trump’s presidency. In the House, the majority could be as high as 250 seats.Despite his overtures to Democrats, Trump has also threatened to use his veto power to force the incoming congressional majorities to negotiate on his terms.“What happens is I veto everything,” Trump said last month when asked about the prospect of Democrats controlling Congress. “And then the Democrats come, and they want to make a deal. So we’ll work it out.”Schumer, meanwhile, signaled Wednesday that Democrats intend to move forward with their agenda regardless of whether Trump cooperates.“We are going to work hard to drive costs down with the president or without it,” he said Wednesday. “Period.”The election results have also bolstered Schumer’s standing after months of criticism from the party’s left flank, which has called for him to step aside.“I’ll be reelected as majority leader,” Schumer declared Wednesday, despite several newly elected Democratic senators having pledged not to support him for the position.2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS, RESULTS, AND ANALYSISDemocrats will still face legislative hurdles even with control of both chambers. Most legislation will require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, leaving the party dependent on at least some Republican support to advance its agenda.As of late Wednesday morning, Democrats had secured 54 Senate seats compared to Republicans’ 44, with races in Mississippi and Alaska remaining undecided.