US Democrats Sweep House and Senate... Trump Warns 'Impeachment Means Ruin'

[Anchor]

As the Democratic Party secured early victories to recapture both the House and the Senate in the U.S. midterm elections, President Donald Trump warned that Democrats would face ruin if they attempt to impeach him. He signaled a frontal breakthrough by making it clear that he has no intention of replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, against whom the opposition party has even proposed an impeachment motion.

For our top story today (November 5), we turn to correspondent Lee Hanseok in Washington.

[Reporter]

U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged that criticisms pointing to the war with Iran as the cause of the midterm election landslide defeat were largely correct, admitting that oil prices rose in the wake of the conflict.

However, he declared a frontal breakthrough, stating that he has no intention of changing his policy stance following the midterm defeat.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: If the Democrats try to do that, it will spell their ruin. If they pursue impeachment for no reason at all, simply because we successfully led the country.]

He also dismissed rumors of a replacement for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom Democrats are demanding be held accountable through a personnel shake-up, saying he is doing a good job.

However, signs of cracks are appearing within the White House.

Vice President JD Vance took to social media to criticize the Trump administration's course, stating that voters who supported them in 2024 turned back to the Democrats out of anger over the war and skyrocketing prices.

Having achieved a landslide victory in both the House and Senate, the Democrats are preparing an all-out offensive using their legislative power and control over the budget.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is widely expected to become the first Black Speaker of the House, pressured the administration to end the war with Iran before the new Congress is sworn in.

[Hakeem Jeffries / House Democratic Leader: We don't have to wait until January 3, when the new Congress begins. The president and the administration need to end the reckless, costly, optional war in Iran right now.]

He went on to issue a public warning directed at the Trump family, stating that while there would be no political retaliation, corruption and the pursuit of private gain through power would be held strictly accountable to the end.

With Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also pledging to use Congress's power of the purse to cut off funding for the war, the second Trump administration has plunged into extreme turmoil just two years into its term.

(Photo: Yonhap News / Video by Park Eun-ha | Video Editing by Kim Byeong-jik)

[Anchor]

Let us now cross live to Washington to learn more about the atmosphere as vote counting nears its final stages.

Correspondent Lee Hanseok, could you briefly break down the seat counts for both parties so far?

[Reporter]

So far, the Democrats have secured 240 seats in the House.

Having easily surpassed the 218-seat majority threshold and secured 54 seats in the Senate to cross the majority line there as well, the vote counts remaining in a few districts are unlikely to serve as major variables.

[Anchor]

It seems President Trump acknowledges the election results but intends to push forward head-on just as before?

[Reporter]

A personnel shake-up is practically a political tradition after losing an election.

The fact that he acknowledges the loss was caused by inflation and soaring oil prices due to the Iran war, yet refuses to take disciplinary action against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—who was singled out as a primary reason for the defeat and remains a primary target for Democrats—signals that he has no intention of avoiding an all-out war with the Democratic Party.

It appears to be a desperate gamble based on the calculation that showing weakness would cause his lame-duck status to accelerate out of control. If things truly continue down this path, it is bound to be a tough battle against a massive opposition party that holds congressional investigative powers and the budget.

The problem is that signs of internal friction are emerging within the Trump administration itself.

Vice President Vance, one of his closest aides, effectively rebelled by differing from Trump, arguing that they need to end the war and focus on the cost of living.

For President Trump, who finds no breathing room either internally or externally, it is truly a cornered situation.

[Anchor]

The Democrats have already declared war, haven't they?

[Reporter]

They have undoubtedly drawn the sword for an all-out confrontation.

If their demand to end the war is not met, they plan to cut emergency security budgets for Iran and choke off the administration's funding.

Their declaration to stop the pursuit of private gain through power reflects their determination to launch sweeping congressional investigations into corruption allegations surrounding the Trump family and his associates.

If this hardline versus hardline dynamic persists, congressional hearings could continue endlessly over the next two years, and government shutdown scenarios could recur.

[Anchor]

Oil prices fell by about 8% overnight, and big tech semiconductor stocks dropped, but the stock market as a whole surged, didn't it?

[Reporter]

As you mentioned, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index declined, but the three major indices cheered across the board, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring by more than 1,000 points.

Analysts attribute the market surge to a sense of relief that Congress will keep the administration's unilateral tariff bombs and policy unilateralism in check.

International oil prices also plunged by more than 8% as relief over expectations of an end to the Iran war helped ease inflation fears.

However, there is someone who had to hang his head amidst all this.

Elon Musk, a cabinet member in the early days of the Trump administration, caught the crossfire of the midterm election results.

Shares of SpaceX and Tesla plummeted by over 5% and 2%, respectively.

This came as Democrats prepared to tighten safety regulations on Tesla's autonomous driving and launch intensive congressional investigations into Tesla and SpaceX's attempted merger. CNBC evaluated that Elon Musk is the biggest loser of this election.

(On-site coverage: Park Eun-ha)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.