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  1. ElectionsHot
  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
Newsbrief

Trump blames Democrats' election win for US stock market fall

Published

Ongoing: US mid-terms Hot

The US president posted on Truth Social after markets closed on Thursday, saying the stock market crashed because Democrats had a big Tuesday in the midterm elections. Analysts gave a different reason for the selloff, linked to artificial intelligence investment.

Analysts said the selloff came from fears that Democrats would threaten the boom in investment in AI data centres. The Nasdaq had its worst session in percentage terms since April 2025.

Trump also said in his post that Democrats had only themselves to blame. He made the claim on Thursday, after US markets closed.

Key facts

Who
Donald Trump (US President); Democratic Party (Trump's rival party, which won the midterm elections)
What
Trump posted on Truth Social after US markets closed on Thursday that the stock market crashed because Democrats had a big Tuesday in the midterm elections. Analysts attributed the selloff to fears of Democrats threatening the AI data center investment boom, with the Nasdaq suffering its worst session percentage-wise since April 2025.
When
5 November 2026
Where
United States
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Counting in the 2026 local government elections continues, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa will declare final results on Sunday. With 56% of voting districts counted, the ANC leads nationally with 31%, the DA has 25% and the MK Party is third.

The DA appears to have won majority control in Cape Town, and leader Geordin Hill-Lewis plans a significant announcement in Midrand on Friday. Early results point to a more fragmented vote, and ActionSA, the DA, the ANC and the EFF said they are open to coalition talks.

Earlier, police said they recorded 85 incidents and registered 57 case dockets on voting day, and the Independent Electoral Commission said a party tore up at least 100 ballots in the Northern Cape.

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AI Hot

What you need to know

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Earlier, reports based on unnamed sources said OpenAI had lowered the target for its latest funding round, and OpenAI has not been quoted on that claim.

Anthropic published its S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing under the symbol ANT, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026. Anthropic also said it is committing close to $900bn to AI infrastructure, with spending on computing power rising faster than revenues.

Elsewhere, an AI chip investment scheme that recruited South Africans on social media went offline on 30 October, leaving members unable to withdraw money.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections on 3 November, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained. Exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and the result was a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Trump said the Iran war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon, but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted, with the JSE All Share Index rising almost 5% on 5 November and Brent crude falling below $100 a barrel as investors hoped for an end to the war.

Earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the result would introduce a new era in world relations, while some leaders warned of political gridlock in Washington.

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