Donald Trump began Election Day predicting Republican success, celebrating an early result in Guam and suggesting it could signal broader victories. The outcome was very different: Democrats made sweeping gains in Congress, won key gubernatorial races and secured numerous down-ballot victories, delivering a major rebuke to Trump and his party, according to the original report.
As results turned against Republicans, Trump’s public remarks moved through a series of reactions. He first dismissed negative polling and voiced confidence in the party’s prospects. Later, he attacked Fox News and its polling, calling its results “BULLSHIT” and criticizing the network’s coverage.
By late evening, Trump and the White House were arguing that the losses were not a verdict on the president. A White House official said candidate quality mattered, while Trump claimed Republicans would have won by a landslide if he had been on the ballot. He also criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott and said he might become a political pundit to discuss why candidates had won or lost.
In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump sounded more subdued. “I’m a little surprised,” he said, adding that he had expected Republicans to do better. He continued to fault candidates and question the network’s polls, though he told host Bret Baier, “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter.”
Trump later struck a more conciliatory tone in an interview with Politico, saying he would work with Democrats and did not want to spend two years vetoing legislation. Asked whether he blamed particular candidates, he replied, “I don’t want to blame anyone.” He described the result as “just a point in time” and said there had been “a mood in the air.”
Sources: Rolling Stone.