President Donald Trump showed no sign of retreating after Democrats won control of the U.S. House in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
A White House official blamed Republican candidates for the losses and said Trump was prepared to intensify his fight against the left. The official described the mood inside the White House as defiant and warned that voters who backed Democrats might come to regret it.
The official argued that Trump’s absence from the ballot mattered, saying his supporters are more likely to turn out when he is running. The official also said candidate quality played a role, and that Trump had done more to promote some Republican candidates than they had done for themselves.
In discussing the election results, the official pointed to gas prices and the conflict with Iran, predicting prices would fall once the conflict was resolved. The official ended with a warning that Trump’s determination to oppose the “Radical Left” would only grow stronger: “Buckle up.”
Trump echoed that message in a short post on Truth Social, saying that if he had been on the ballot, Republicans would have won by a landslide. In an earlier post, he criticized Fox News’ coverage and cited polling that showed strong support for him among Republicans.
Democrats made substantial gains on election night and were nearing a Senate majority. The article also reported that Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had conceded to his Democratic challenger and that James Talarico had flipped one of the state’s Senate seats.
Early exit polls suggested voters were concerned about the economic effects of the military operation against Iran, as well as the broader state of the economy.
