After Democrats delivered a sweeping midterm victory, Donald Trump had some unusually generous words for his political opponents. “I think the Democrats did a good job. I really do,” he told Fox News, even as his party faced the prospect of losing control of both chambers of Congress.
The president’s compliments came after a disastrous night for Republicans, with Democrats winning control of the House and Senate and several Trump-backed candidates suffering defeats. The results leave Trump facing a Democratic-controlled Congress for the final two years of his presidency, a major obstacle to his legislative agenda.
Trump, who watched election returns at the White House alongside advisers and Cabinet members, has no public events scheduled for Wednesday, according to the White House’s daily schedule. His listed activities include executive time and several policy meetings, all closed to the press.
Speaking to Fox News during election night coverage, Trump insisted the results were not a personal defeat. “I don’t view it as a hit on me,” he said, adding that he believed his administration had delivered “the greatest two years in the history of the president” on the economy and other issues.
JUST IN : President Trump congratulates Democrats on their midterm victories but makes one thing clear: He does not view the results as a rejection of his leadership.
“Congratulations to the Democrats. They did a good job. They’ve been looking for this one for 11 years, and they finally got it. But I don’t view it as a hit on me. I think we’ve done … We’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency.”
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That assessment came despite the president spending weeks urging Americans to treat the midterms as a judgment on his leadership. At campaign appearances, he repeatedly encouraged voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot,” making the Republican losses harder to separate from his own political standing.
Trump offered several explanations for the outcome, including the performance of Republican candidates. He said some of his endorsed contenders had failed to win over his supporters.
“They didn’t like the candidates,” he told Fox News. “And some of the candidates that I endorsed fought me, and they didn’t like that they fought me.”
He also acknowledged that the war with Iran had contributed to the Republican setbacks, particularly through its effect on fuel prices. “I think a part of it was Iran,” Trump said, before defending the military campaign and arguing that its long-term importance outweighed the immediate political consequences.
In another exchange, he suggested voters were more concerned about the cost of gasoline than the conflict itself. “People agree with what I’m doing on Iran, but they really probably weren’t willing to do the short-term consequence of paying more for gasoline,” he said.
The president also made clear that Democrats should not expect an easy ride through Congress. While claiming he was willing to cooperate, Trump warned that he would use his veto authority to block legislation he opposed.
“They’ll send over things that are insane and I’ll veto them,” he said. He predicted that after months of vetoes, Democrats would eventually approach him to negotiate. “And we’ll work together,” he added.
Trump’s remarks offered a glimpse of the difficult political relationship ahead. With Democrats controlling both chambers, they will have greater power to block his proposals, scrutinize his administration and challenge his appointments.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
