Donald Trump sought to distance himself from Republican losses in the midterm elections, which he had presented as a referendum on his leadership. As Democrats continued to gain seats, he argued that the results should not be considered a defeat for him because he was not a candidate.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Republicans would have won “by a landslide” if his name had been on the ballot. Later, in an interview with Fox, he praised The Democrats’ campaign while again noting that he had not run for office.
Trump also threatened to veto legislative proposals from the Congress now controlled by Democrats. He said he would act as a political commentator and assess why candidates had won or lost, and separately blamed Texas Governor Greg Abbott for losing, accusing him of abandoning his political formula.
According to his official schedule, Trump followed the vote count in the East Wing with political advisers and Cabinet members. He had campaigned for numerous Republican candidates, urging rally-goers to imagine that he himself was on the ballot.
Throughout election night, Trump also criticized Fox News’ coverage, attacking political analyst Jessica Tarlov, the network’s polling and its coverage of Democratic figures. He blamed the network for contributing to Republican losses by giving the opposition airtime.
Sources: elDiario.es.