Politics1 min read

Trump ducking blame for poll losses. It's familiar

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The midterm outcomes saw Democrats capture Senate seats in Kansas and South Carolina for the first time since 1932, while also securing statewide wins in Texas. Although Trump claimed on social media that Republicans would have achieved a landslide victory if he had run, an AP Voter Poll showed only four in ten voters approved of his presidency. Furthermore, majorities of voters in key states like Ohio, Iowa, Maine, and North Carolina believed defeated Republican candidates were excessively supportive of him. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance offered an alternative explanation, pointing to the ongoing war with Iran as the primary driver behind the losses.

Key points

  • Voters in several states determined that losing Republican candidates had aligned themsel…: Voters in several states determined that losing Republican candidates had aligned themselves too closely with Donald Trump.
  • The administration engaged in internal party criticism by blaming figures like John Corny…: The administration engaged in internal party criticism by blaming figures like John Cornyn and Karl Rove for specific losses.
  • Alternative explanations emerged from within the White House, including Vice President JD…: Alternative explanations emerged from within the White House, including Vice President JD Vance citing the war with Iran.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

WASHINGTON - After a flurry of rallies where he implored supporters to pretend that he was on the ballot, President Donald Trump led his Republican Party to a stunningly complete wipeout in the midterm elections.

Now he may work just as tirelessly to insist it wasn't his fault.

Republican losses swept Democrats into control of Congress with a wave of Senate victories that once seemed far-fetched in GOP strongholds. There were wins in South Carolina and Kansas, which had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. In Texas, Democrats had been shut out of every statewide race for more than three decades, until Tuesday.

Track US Senate Elections Result 2026 Live Updates here

Trump was already backpedaling even before the full extent of his party's defeat was known. On election night, he sounded more humble than usual, pledging to work with Democrats and to accept the election results. But he was still seeking to deflect responsibility.

"I don't like to consider it a defeat for me. I wasn't on the ballot," he told Fox News. Voters, he said, just "didn't…

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