WASHINGTON, Nov 07 (Reuters): Donald Trump faced greater restraints on his presidency after Democrats won control of the US House of Representatives and pledged to hold the Republican accountable after a tumultuous two years in the White House.
Trump and his fellow Republicans expanded their control of the US Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, following a divisive campaign marked by fierce clashes over race and immigration.
But they lost their majority in the House, a setback for Trump after a campaign that became a referendum on his leadership.
With some races still undecided, Democrats were headed for a gain of more than 30 seats, beyond the 23 they needed to claim their first majority in the 435-member House in eight years.
Seizing the Senate had never looked a likely prospect for the Democrats, and in the event they fell short of a tidal wave of voter support that would have given them control of both chambers of Congress.
Winning a Senate majority would have allowed Democrats to apply the brakes even more firmly on Trump's policy agenda and given them the ability to block any future Supreme Court nominees.
However, the Democrats will now head House committees that can investigate the president's tax returns, possible business conflicts of interest and possible links between his 2016 election campaign and Russia.
The Democrats could also force Trump to scale back his legislative ambitions, possibly dooming his promises to fund a border wall with Mexico, pass a second major tax-cut package, or carry out his hardline policies on trade.
Trump -- a 72-year-old former reality TV star and businessman-turned-politician -- had hardened his rhetoric in recent weeks on issues that appealed to his conservative core supporters.
He threw himself into the campaign, issuing warnings about a caravan of Latin American migrants headed to the border with Mexico and condemnations of liberal American "mobs" he says oppose him.
The party with the presidency often loses seats in the House in midterm elections.
Former President Barack Obama's Democrats suffered what he called a "shellacking" in congressional elections in 2010.
With divided leadership in Congress and a president who has taken an expansive view of executive power, Washington could be in store for even deeper political polarisation and legislative gridlock.
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