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Trump heaps surprise praise on Democrat Scott Colom after his historic Mississippi Senate upset

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Madhani, A. (2026, November 13). Trump heaps surprise praise on Democrat Scott Colom after his historic Mississippi Senate upset. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-scott-colom-interview-praise-b3084510.html

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The Independent · collected 2026-11-13 · by Aamer Madhani

Quick Summary

Democrat Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after winning a tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Following the win, President Donald Trump offered rare public praise for Colom's "chutzpah" in showing up at a previous rally in Corinth, Mississippi, to mingle with staunch "Make America Great Again" supporters. The report highlights the irony of Trump’s praise given that he had previously labeled Colom a "Marxist radical" and a "phony" during that same campaign period.
Written by AI on 2026-11-13, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Story summary

Democrat Scott Colom has won a historic election to become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. The Associated Press called the race on November 12, 2026, after a narrow contest against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. During the count, the margin between the two candidates was reported as less than 30 ballots with 97% of the votes tallied, and both candidates held roughly 48.9 percent of the vote at that stage. The race was described as a "knife-edge" contest that required several days of processing absentee and provisional ballots. Hyde-Smith conceded the race shortly after the call was made. Colom, who serves as the district attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi, won the seat despite a deep red political environment. His victory contributed to a Democratic majority of at least 55 seats in the U.S. Senate.

Written for “Scott Colom's Senate win” on 2026-11-14, grounded in this article and the 100 other(s) covering the same event.

How they differ

29 outlets covered “Scott Colom's Senate win”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

The IndependentThis outlet13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after winning a tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Following the win, President Donald Trump offered rare public praise for Colom's "chutzpah" in showing up at a previous rally in Corinth, Mississippi, to mingle with staunch "Make America Great Again" supporters. The report highlights the…

Trump heaps surprise praise on Democrat Scott Colom after his historic Mississippi Senate upset (this article)2 articles from The Independent on this story
CBS News13 Nov

CBS News projects that Democrat Scott Colom will defeat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith to become Mississippi's first Black senator since the 1800s. The report features an interview with Charles Taylor, the executive director of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, who discusses the historical significance of this potential win. The piece focuses on the symbolic and political implications of the seat…

NAACP official on Mississippi electing Scott Colom as its first Black senator since the 1800s →16 articles from CBS News on this story
The Guardian13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom became Mississippi’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era after defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in a midterm election. His victory helped secure at least 55 seats for the Democratic party, marking the party's largest midterm gains since 1986. This article explores the historical significance of the win through the personal accounts of diverse voters who view Colom's…

Across racial lines, Mississippians celebrate Scott Colom’s historic election: ‘The times they are a-changin’ →11 articles from The Guardian on this story
Just the News11 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom has been declared the winner of a Mississippi Senate seat more than a week after Election Day. With 99% of votes counted, Colom leads incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin of 49.2% to 48.7%. The Associated Press officially called the race for Colom at 5:58 p.m. ET. This makes Colom Mississippi’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era following the Civil War.

Scott Colom declared winner of Mississippi Senate seat →9 articles from Just the News on this story
NPR12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, has won the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin. Colom's victory makes him the first Black senator from Mississippi in nearly 150 years and expands the Democratic majority to 55 seats in the new Congress. The article also notes the White House's warning to Democrats about potential future investigations into administration…

Colom wins Mississippi Senate race. And, White House warns Dems over future probes →6 articles from NPR on this story
Washington Examiner12 Nov

District attorney Scott Colom unseated incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in a 2026 midterm election, ending over four decades of Democratic losses in Mississippi's Senate races. Colom narrowly won the seat after his campaign gained national attention through unconventional advertisements, specifically a viral spot mocking the incumbent's comments on beef prices. The piece analyzes how these viral ads helped the…

Who is Scott Colom, and how did his viral ads help secure Mississippi Senate stunner? →6 articles from Washington Examiner on this story
Show 23 more outlets
ABC News (US)12 Nov

Scott Colom's victory in Mississippi’s Senate race marks the first time a Black person has been directly elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi. Colom’s win challenges longstanding assumptions about Mississippi’s predictable political landscape, which had excluded Black voters for generations through discriminatory policies. The article analyzes whether Colom’s success can inspire a broader coalition of voters…

Colom’s historic Senate win could reshape Mississippi’s political future: Analysis →5 articles from ABC News (US) on this story
NBC News12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race. This victory makes Colom the state’s first Black senator elected since Reconstruction and its first Democratic senator in nearly 45 years. The report focuses on the historic nature of the election results for the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi Elects First Black Senator in More Than 140 Years →5 articles from NBC News on this story
Al Jazeera13 Nov

Mississippi has elected Scott Colom as its first Black senator since 1881. This election represents a historic milestone for a state that activists note has practiced segregation and voter suppression for decades. The report highlights the significance of the win as a long-awaited shift in the state's political representation.

Mississippi elects first black senator in nearly 150 years →5 articles from Al Jazeera on this story
Toronto Star13 Nov

President Trump praised Mississippi's newly elected Senator Scott Colom during a rally, acknowledging Colom's efforts to court MAGA supporters in the final days before the midterm elections. This was unusual, as Trump had previously criticized Colom as a “Marxist radical” and a “shameless phony” when campaigning for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi.

Trump praises Democrat Scott Colom for showing up to Mississippi rally and courting MAGA supporters →4 articles from Toronto Star on this story
Fox News11 Nov

In Mississippi's Senate race, Democrat Scott Colom is projected to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who had strong backing from President Trump and the Senate Leadership Fund. The victory marks a significant shift in what was once considered a reliably red state, contributing to Democrats' control of the U.S. Senate with 55 seats compared to Republicans' 44.

Dems projected to score historic upset in deep-red Mississippi, topple Trump ally Hyde-Smith →3 articles from Fox News on this story
Time12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democratic challenger and district attorney from Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District, narrowly won the state’s Senate election against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith on November 8, 2026. With 49.2% of the vote compared to Hyde-Smith's 48.7%, Colom secured victory over a week after Election Day, becoming Mississippi’s first Black senator since 1874 and its first Democratic senator since 1982…

Scott Colom Wins Nail-Biter Mississippi Race, Becoming State's First Democratic Senator-Elect Since 1982 →3 articles from Time on this story
The Daily Wire12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, according to projections from The Associated Press and CNN on Wednesday. This historic upset marks the first time since 1982 that a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Mississippi, making Colom also the state’s first black senator elected by voters directly since Reconstruction. Colom's victory comes despite Mississippi…

Democrat Scott Colom Flips Mississippi Senate Seat In Historic Upset →3 articles from The Daily Wire on this story
BBC12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom won a close election to become Mississippi's first black U.S. senator in over 150 years, joining Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce as the only three black senators in the state's history. The report highlights that Mississippi had not seated a black senator since 1875 and has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. This piece focuses on the historic nature of Colom's victory, which was driven…

Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi →3 articles from BBC on this story
The Straits Times12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race on November 11, becoming the first Black senator from Mississippi since 1874. This victory marked a significant upset for Democrats and contributed to their overall gains in the midterm elections, giving them a 55-44 advantage in the Senate. Colom’s campaign focused on rising living costs and voter frustration…

Democrat Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat, becomes state's first Black senator since 1874 →3 articles from The Straits Times on this story
Daily Mail11 Nov

In the recent midterm elections, Democrat Scott Colom won Mississippi's Senate seat, flipping it blue for the first time in 44 years, defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 4,669 votes. The historic victory came despite Hyde-Smith being backed by President Trump and her previous win with a seven-point margin. Colom capitalized on voter dissatisfaction with economic issues and Hyde-Smith's gaffes…

Trump suffers another humiliating blow in midterms disaster as Democrat Scott Colom makes historic win and flips Mississippi's Senate seat blue for the first time in four decades →2 articles from Daily Mail on this story
Mother Jones11 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, has become Mississippi's first Black US senator since Reconstruction after winning a surprising upset victory. This historic win comes from a state with a deeply troubling past of racial violence and repression during the Jim Crow era. Colom’s success is attributed to significant voter turnout by Black Mississippians who were motivated to protect voting rights following the Supreme Court’s…

Mississippi, Once the Epicenter of Jim Crow, Elects Its First Black Senator Since Reconstruction →2 articles from Mother Jones on this story
Semafor5 Nov

Democrats are intensifying their efforts to secure Scott Colom’s lead over Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi after the vote count showed Colom ahead by 1,724 votes. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and legal experts like Elias Law Group have joined Colom’s campaign, observing the tally across various counties while Republican groups request preservation of provisional ballots…

Democrats flock to Mississippi amid Senate vote tally →2 articles from Semafor on this story
New York Post11 Nov

Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate election after a week-long count, securing 49.2% of the vote compared to Hyde-Smith’s 48.7%. The race was extremely close, with less than 5,000 votes separating them when more than 95% of ballots were tallied. Colom becomes the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Mississippi since 1982, marking it as part of a broader trend…

Dem Scott Colom defeats Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith after weeklong nailbiter →
Sydney Morning Herald11 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, won the Senate race in Mississippi, defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and becoming the first black man elected to the US Senate there since Reconstruction ended over 150 years ago. The Associated Press declared Colom the winner on Wednesday evening local time. This victory adds to Democrats' national gains, increasing their total in the Senate to 55 seats. Colom's campaign…

History made as black Democrat wins Senate race in deep red Mississippi →
CBC11 Nov

Scott Colom secured a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a midterm election. Colom is set to become Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction times and has provided Democrats with an unexpected win towards their goal of controlling the Senate. As a local prosecutor, Colom capitalized on national political trends and demographics within Mississippi that…

Mississippi's Scott Colom secures Senate seat, notching another midterm win for Democrats →
The Hindu12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat and local prosecutor, has been elected as Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith after a weeks-long ballot-counting process. The election marks a significant political shift in the predominantly conservative state, occurring during a national midterm election cycle that saw several Democratic victories across…

Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as state's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction →
Daily Caller12 Nov

Scott Colom won a Mississippi Senate seat with 49.19% of the vote against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith who received 48.71%, according to the Associated Press on Wednesday. This marks the first time since 1989 that a Democrat will represent Mississippi in the Senate. The race was closely watched, particularly due to Colom's viral campaign ad criticizing Hyde-Smith’s comments about beef prices.

Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat →
Toronto Sun12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat and 43-year-old district attorney, won Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in an unexpected upset on November 8. This victory marks the first time an African American has been elected to the Senate from Mississippi since Reconstruction over 140 years ago. The win contributes to Democrats flipping eight traditionally Republican-held seats nationwide…

Mississippi Democrat flips U.S. Senate seat in stunning upset →
Dawn12 Nov

In a historic upset, Democrat Scott Colom won the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith after 140 years of continuous Republican control. The race was called on November 8th by major networks based on a narrow margin of just 4,585 votes out of nearly 2 million cast. This victory contributed to Democrats reclaiming the majority in both chambers of Congress, marking a…

Mississippi Democrat flips US Senate seat in stunning upset after 140 years →
Euronews12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom won a historic victory in the US Senate race in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith with a margin of fewer than 5,000 votes. This marks the first time a Black senator has been elected from Mississippi since before the Civil War and makes Colom the first Democratic senator to represent the state in nearly four decades. The win is part of a broader midterm election trend…

Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in historic upset →
Zeteo12 Nov

The article discusses a potential challenge to Hakeem Jeffries for the position of House Speaker from Representative Ayanna Pressley. Pressley's actions, including launching a petition to demonstrate public support for her progressive agenda, suggest she may pose a significant challenge to Jeffries. The petition emphasizes issues such as Medicare for All, abortion protections, and the abolition of ICE, indicating a…

Is Ayanna Pressley About to Challenge Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker? →
Letters from an American13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom, the district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Judicial District, was declared the winner of the U.S. Senate race after Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith conceded the seat. Colom becomes the third Black senator from Mississippi and the first ever elected directly by the people, following Hiram R. Revels and Blanche K. Bruce who were appointed by the state legislature in 1870 and 1874…

November 12, 2026 →

Where they agree and split

Agreed

AI · cited, from two or more outlets

  • The Senate race in Mississippi is within a margin of a few dozen votes.14
  • Mississippi lacks a formal recount process.14
Quoted from the coverage (4)

Although a race this close would automatically trigger a recount in some states, Mississippi has no law on the books for initiating a recount.

7 outlets

The latest win, called Wednesday by U.S. news outlets that included CNN, NBC and CBS, will give Democrats 55 seats in the 100-member Senate with 44 for Republicans and one race — in Alaska — still outstanding.

7 outlets

Hiram Revels, also a Republican, became the first black U.S. senator in American history when Mississippi sent him to Washington in 1870.

7 outlets

President Trump carried the state by 23 points in 2024 and Hyde-Smith won her last race by seven points.

6 outlets

Framing

How the first headlines put it

Stated as fact9
The headlines (9)

Mississippi Senate race at razor thin margin as vote count continues CBS News · stated as fact

Deep red Mississippi on a knife-edge as Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith fails to seal the deal Daily Mail · stated as fact

Votes are still being counted to see who will represent Mississippi in the Senate NPR · stated as fact

What Senate races are left to be decided Washington Examiner · stated as fact

Newsom solicits cash as Biden’s former election lawyer mobilizes legal team for Mississippi Senate race Fox News · stated as fact

What to know about recounts in Mississippi with razor-thin margin in Senate race ABC News · stated as fact

Mississippi’s Unbelievable Blue Turn Mother Jones · stated as fact

Mississippi Senate race heads to an extended vote count and possible ballot battle NBC News · stated as fact

How the Mississippi Senate Race Became a Nail-Biter Time · stated as fact

Words to watch (2)

Democrat Scott Colom unseats Cindy Hyde-Smith in shocking Mississippi Senate win The Guardian

Trump suffers another humiliating blow in midterms disaster as Democrat Scott Colom makes historic win and flips Mississippi's Senate seat blue for the first time in four decades Daily Mail

The full story: what happened, how it changed, and all 101 articles →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
CBC News
Leans left Hedges 0 of 6 claims Outlet record 60/100
TIME
Leans left Hedges 6 of 36 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
Leans left Hedges 1 of 22 claims Outlet record 60/100
The Guardian
Leans left Hedges 0 of 37 claims Outlet record 65/100
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
Al Jazeera
Leans left Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 53 claims Outlet record 60/100
TIME
Leans left Hedges 4 of 25 claims Outlet record 60/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100

Story

Scott Colom's Senate win
Politics · 101 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
13
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
101
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-13 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Independent · 4342 article(s) · 10 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 10 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Aamer Madhani
21 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
“If something does not work out, I would not hesitate” to act, Trump told conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewitt on Thursday.
While the leaders gathering for joint talks will mark a singular moment, analysts say expectations are low that the talks will lead to major breakthroughs and say they will be heavier in symbolism than substance.
Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after The Associated Press called his tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in his favor on Wednesday.
Voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the war could weigh down those ambitions.
Now, as Trump ponders his next move, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Iran, the Middle East and the global economy writ large.
The strikes appeared to be limited as opposed to a return to full hostilities but followed President Donald Trump previously saying the US would not launch strikes on Iran before Tuesday’s midterms.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · US hits Iranian targets on eve of midterm elections
Before joining the Joint Staff, Sylvia commanded the storied 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025.
Before joining the Joint Staff, Sylvia commanded the storied 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, until May 2025, and previously served as the vice director for the J5.
U.S. officials have told several Middle East countries and regional allies to be prepared for potential renewed military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections in the United States — as well as the possibility that Iran will attempt to retaliate against them, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter.
In his first public comments about the incident, Trump hinted there could be a link when asked by reporters at the White House whether he had been briefed about any connection between the co-pilot and Tehran.
Also by Aamer Madhani
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 21 articles by Aamer Madhani →

Topics

Black Mississippi Republican U.S. post-Civil War

Subjects

Colom PERSON · 7× Trump PERSON · 7× Mississippi GPE · 5× Republican NORP · 3× Corinth GPE · 2× Black NORP · 1× Cindy Hyde-Smith PERSON · 1× Scott Colom PERSON · 1× The Associated Press ORG · 1× U.S. GPE · 1×

Narrative

It also tracked with Colom's strategy throughout the campaign: criticizing Trump’s policies—especially the Iran war that drove up gas prices and tariffs that caused headaches for Mississippi farmers—without taking personal jabs at the president or people who voted for him.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-13
Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after The Associated Press called his tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in his favor on Wednesday.

Claims (13 extracted, 0 hedged)

Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after The Associated Press called his tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in his favor on Wednesday. asserted
Press → become → Wednesday
Local officials spent several days processing absentee and provisional ballots, called affidavit ballots in Mississippi, before making the call. asserted
officials → spend → call
Colom, a 43-year-old local prosecutor, ran a successful underdog campaign that capitalized on the electorate's discontent with the economy. asserted
that → run → economy
On Thursday, President Donald Trump heaped praise on the Democrat during an appearance on Stephen A. Smith's “Straight Shooter” podcast, a rare example of the Republican president admiring a member of the opposing party. asserted
president → heap → party
Trump acknowledged that Colom demonstrated chutzpah by showing up to the Trump rally to mingle with some of the Republican president's staunchest “Make America Great Again” supporters. asserted
America → acknowledge → supporters
“I heard it the other day, where I had a rally there, and we had lines that went 10 miles long, and he campaigned on that line, telling everybody on the line what a good job he did,” Trump said of Colom. asserted
Trump → hear → Colom
“I give him a lot of credit for that.” asserted
I → give → that
The rally in question took place in Corinth, Mississippi, last month, when the president traveled there to campaign for Hyde-Smith. asserted
president → take → Smith
At that event, Trump denigrated Colom as a “Marxist radical," a “fake” and a “shameless phony who pretends to be a moderate." asserted
who → denigrate → radical
Colom had walked along the lineup of Trump supporters waiting to get into the Corinth rally, introducing himself and asking about their concerns. asserted
Colom → walk → concerns
The move drew widespread media attention, stealing the spotlight from Trump's barnstorming in Mississippi, a state Republicans had expected to win easily. asserted
Republicans → draw → Mississippi
It also tracked with Colom's strategy throughout the campaign: criticizing Trump’s policies—especially the Iran war that drove up gas prices and tariffs that caused headaches for Mississippi farmers—without taking personal jabs at the president or people who voted for him. asserted
who → track → him
Colom sought to portray Hyde-Smith as a nonentity in Washington, while vowing to look out for the interests of people in his state. asserted
Colom → seek → state
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