The US President Donald Trump has congratulated the Democratic Party following its decisive victory in the midterm elections, while acknowledging that the Iran war may have contributed to the Republican Party’s poor performance.
However, the 80-year-old president refused to accept personal responsibility for the outcome, which has disrupted the final two years of his presidency, instead pointing fingers at members of his own party.
“Well, I say this: congratulations to the Democrats. They did a good job,” Trump said in a telephone interview with FOX News Democracy 26.
“They’ve been looking for this one for 11 years, and they finally got it. But I don’t view it as a hit on me.”
Trump’s praise for the opposition was unusual, considering that he had spent much of the election campaign describing Democrats with labels ranging from communists to Islamists.
He also maintained that, unlike his reaction to losing the 2020 presidential election, he accepted the latest results and was willing to work with Democrats now that they would control Congress.
“I can work with them on many things,” Trump said.
Nevertheless, he warned that he would exercise his presidential powers to reject any Democratic-backed legislation he opposed.
“They can send over, you know, 50 different great bills that they’re all excited about, and I send them back with a nice stamp — ‘veto.’”
With opinion polls indicating widespread opposition to the Iran war and the resulting increase in oil prices, Trump admitted that the conflict may have influenced voters’ decisions.
“I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understood the importance of what I’ve done with Iran,” Trump told Fox.
Despite his conciliatory remarks towards Democrats, Trump was less forgiving towards members of his party.
During the campaign, the 80-year-old had repeatedly urged Republicans to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” However, following Tuesday’s defeat, he argued that his absence from the ballot was the reason for the party’s poor showing.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
‘Buckle up’
Trump later announced that he would “become a political pundit” to explain the reasons behind the Republican defeat.
One of his first targets was Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who lost to Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa. Trump argued that Abbott would not have lost if he had not become a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only).
Several of the defeated candidates had received Trump’s personal endorsement, with the president travelling across the country to campaign for them. In one instance, he even praised the “ass” of Republican Ohio Senate candidate Jon Husted.
The White House also questioned the quality of some Republican candidates.
“Candidate quality matters, and President Trump did a better job promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates did themselves,” a White House official said.
Earlier, tension was reportedly evident at the White House as Trump and senior cabinet members watched the disappointing election results emerge during a reception in the lavish East Room.
Some White House staff members reportedly ate takeaway meals from US restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory, a reference to former Democratic President Barack Obama’s remark that Trump’s White House renovations were “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
Attention has now shifted to how Trump will manage the final two years of his second term as a lame-duck president, with Democrats set to control both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The White House suggested that Trump was not prepared to retreat quietly from the political battle.
With Iran still a major concern for the president, speculation is growing that he could restart large-scale military operations against Tehran, intensifying a conflict that voters have clearly rejected.
“Anyone who voted Democrat today is going to have a serious case of buyer’s remorse when gas prices come down quickly when the Iran conflict is solved but they’re still stuck with a list of liberal extremist Democrats,” the White House official said.
The administration also issued a warning suggesting that Trump would intensify his confrontation with political opponents.
“A final note here: regardless of how today plays out, President Trump’s resolve to stop the Radical Left is only going to become stronger. Buckle up.”