Trump claims GOP would have won ‘IN A LANDSLIDE’ if he were on ballot
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Republicans would have won "IN A LANDSLIDE" if he had been on the ballot, in a post following the Democrats’ election-night wins.
Trump’s comments came as Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, setting up a divided government for Trump's final two years in office.
Trump says he'll accept election results
What they're saying:
President Trump congratulated the Democrats on their victories, but he denied that the midterm elections were a referendum on him.
"The Democrats did a good job. They fought hard," he said in a phone interview with Fox News.
Several Trump-backed candidates lost in places that he won easily in 2024, some by double digits. But he blamed the candidates themselves, not policies of his that voters have looked on unfavorably, like the economy and Iran war.
"I don’t view it as a hit on me," he said. "We’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency."
"I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he posted on social media.
Trump blamed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s loss on what he described as a shift away from his conservative political base.
"If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost. He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he added.
RELATED: Live election results: Senate & House balance of power, governor’s races
Democrats win control of Congress
Dig deeper:
Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats Tuesday in Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. They held on to battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan. In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, some that voted for Trump by double digits in 2024.
Democrat Annie Andrews won an upset victory over Republican Darline Graham for a Senate seat in South Carolina, a sign that dissatisfaction with Trump has seeped into even some of the most conservative states.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at Salina Regional Airport on November 01, 2026 in Salina, Kansas. Trump is campaigning in Dubuque, Iowa and Salina, Kansas ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. (Photo by Andrew Ha
Andrews’ victory is a defeat for Trump, who backed Graham despite doubts within his party. Democrats have also flipped Senate seats in North Carolina, Texas and Maine, and won key races in Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire.
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia, defeating Rep. Mike Collins and denying Republicans a seat they had once seen as a top pickup opportunity. Rep. Chris Pappas won a Senate race in New Hampshire, defeating former Sen. John Sununu to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Democrat Abdul El Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan for that state's open Senate seat.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story came from President Donald Trump’s social media post, election results from key House and Senate races, and reporting on voter concerns over inflation, the war in Iran and Trump’s second-term record. The election details were based on results and projections from state and federal races, while the broader political analysis focused on the potential impact of Democratic gains on Republican control of Congress. This story was reported from Los Angeles.