US midterms: Republicans blame Trump and McConnell for poor showing

News that Democrats have held the US Senate after midterm elections this week has sparked recriminations within the Republican Party.

Critics of former President Donald Trump blamed him for the poor showing while other Republicans faulted Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

The White House meanwhile made its strongest indication yet that President Joe Biden will run for re-election.

The race for the US House of Representatives remains uncalled.

Republicans are still favoured to win the lower chamber of Congress, but their likely majority is shrinking as votes continue to be counted.

Over the weekend, US networks projected that Democrats had held two Senate seats in Arizona and Nevada, retaining control of the upper chamber.

"This is the third election in a row that Trump has cost us the result," Maryland's Republican Governor Larry Hogan, a long-time critic of the ex-president, told CNN on Sunday.

"He said we would be tired of winning. Well I'm tired of losing."