ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
And Trump had coattails. In addition to his win, Republicans may be on track for a trifecta. They've also won a majority in the Senate, and though several close races are still being counted, the GOP is within striking distance of controlling the House of Representatives. That could make for a dramatic shakeup in Congress for the next two years. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales will be covering it. Hi, Claudia.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Hey there.
SHAPIRO: Republicans are celebrating this apparent red wave today - excuse me - today. What have they been saying?
GRISALES: Right. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was one of the first to celebrate with his victory lap. He steps down from leadership in - next year but will remain in the Senate. He says he's grateful he can pass the baton to a Republican to replace him. He called this, quote, "a great day for Republicans." He's never seen a better performance for the party. He said it's largely thanks to the campaign arms of Trump's - for Trump and Senate Republicans. And he said that they were able to put forth quality candidates, focused on the best places to win. And I asked him, in terms of the election, what the mood of the country, what this signaled, and he said it was a rebuke of the sitting administration.
SHAPIRO: As you know well, McConnell and Trump have a relationship that is complicated at best. And now that McConnell is stepping down from Senate leadership, what does that say about Trump's relationship to the GOP in Washington?
GRISALES: Right. McConnell just had a book come out recently where he disparaged Trump and called him stupid and ill-tempered. But today, he didn't want to talk about that. He says they've been able to navigate acrimony in the past.
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MITCH MCCONNELL: You know, I had a lot of dealings with him during the previous administration. I think we did a lot for the American people.
GRISALES: So he sees a lot of potential ahead for Senate Republicans to accomplish their priorities, including extending the Trump tax cuts that were enacted during that last term. And that could also include successful - a successful run of nominations to courts around the country.
SHAPIRO: What about the House? How confident are Republicans that they might win that chamber?
GRISALES: They're pretty confident. House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement today saying that the election is on track for a unified government, and it proves Americans are eager for a secure border and lower costs. I was on the campaign trail with Johnson last week in the Pacific Northwest, and he repeatedly predicted this trifecta during rallies. And this was one of his big applause lines, as well as when he would talk about changes to the border on Day 1 of a Trump presidency. So it's clear also that Johnson has been in daily contact with Trump, talking almost, like, every other day, if it's not that much. And so he's been celebrating with him. He was even in Mar-a-Lago last night.
SHAPIRO: And then what about the Democrats? There are still a number of races that have not been called. How are Democrats responding?
GRISALES: Right. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries also put out a statement saying that Democrats flipped four Republican-held seats in New York. They're hopeful about several others in places like Arizona, Oregon and California. But I spoke to a Democrat today who was also hopeful but said the party needs to take some time, deeply reflect on a path forward - so not exactly a ringing endorsement of their chances.
SHAPIRO: You've chronicled so much infighting within the Republican Party. If they do win and have unified government, could that bring an end to all of the kind of civil war within the party?
GRISALES: That is possible. In some ways it remains to be seen, but this could be a departure of the clashes that we saw between Trump and Republicans in 2017. This is a massive power shift. Republicans could see themselves as having this mandate to stay on the same page to address issues like the border, like taxes. So it really gives them an upper hand, if they do this, in all legislative deals.
SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Claudia Grisales. Good to see you here in the studio. Thanks.
GRISALES: Thank you.
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