President Joe Biden will address reporters Wednesday after appearing to withstand historic and political headwinds in the midterm elections, staving off resounding Republican wins even as his presidency is now likely entering a new period of divided government.

The results were neither the “thumping” George W. Bush described during his own post-midterms press conference in 2006 nor the “shellacking’” Barack Obama said Democrats endured in 2010.

Instead, the failure of a so-called “red wave” to materialize Tuesday night had Democrats, including those inside the White House, feeling enthused and vindicated following an election season where Biden’s political aptitude was questioned.

“We have defied historical trends,” a senior Biden adviser told CNN. “It’s pretty extraordinary if you think about it.”

The results appeared more likely to prompt soul-searching among Republicans than Democrats, as former President Donald Trump teases an imminent announcement that he is running for the White House again. Many of the candidates Trump endorsed in toss-up races lost or were locked in contests that were too early to call.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/politics/biden-news-conference-midterms/index.html