President Donald Trump said he would veto what he called “insane” bills from Democrats after the party’s major midterm gains. He also acknowledged that higher gas prices, tied to the conflict with Iran, may have contributed to Republican losses.
Speaking during live election coverage, Trump said he had expected Republicans to perform better but believed he could still find ways to work with Democrats. He suggested that repeated vetoes could eventually push both parties toward compromise.
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, flipping at least seven Republican-held Senate seats and more than two dozen House districts. Their gains give them the ability to challenge Trump’s legislative plans, reject nominees and investigate his administration during his final two years in office.
Trump described his veto power as a tool in negotiations and said some Democratic lawmakers had already contacted him. He added that he had spoken with several members of Congress and expected others to get in touch.
Asked about the Republican losses, Trump said voters may have been more troubled by the cost of gasoline than by the military campaign against Iran. He argued that many supported his approach to Iran but were reluctant to absorb the immediate expense of higher fuel prices.
Trump defended the campaign as necessary, saying the economic effects would be temporary and that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was a more important long-term concern.
He also suggested that some Republican candidates had struggled to draw support. Trump said his rallies had been large, but that enthusiasm for him did not always translate into votes for candidates he endorsed. Some, he said, had previously opposed him and lost the backing of his supporters; others simply failed to motivate voters.
Although disappointed by the results, Trump praised Democrats for campaigning hard. He rejected the idea that the outcome was a personal defeat, noting that he himself had not been on the ballot.
