Donald Trump has spent years enjoying friendly treatment from the New York Post. On Wednesday, however, the Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper gave him a rather different kind of attention. Its front page showed the president staring down an enormous blue wave, apparently with little chance of getting out of its way.
The headline read “BLUE TSUNAMI,” followed by an even less flattering verdict: “Trump suffers historic rebuke as Dems romp in midterms.”
The cover borrowed from Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s famous artwork Under the Wave off Kanagawa, replacing its original subject with Trump being swallowed by the enormous wave. The New York Post’s November 4 coverage reported on the Democratic victory, while its front page archive offers a look at the newspaper’s covers.
Blue tsunami delivers Dems both chambers of Congress in stunning defeat for GOP and Trump’s handpicked candidates. Read today’s cover here: https://t.co/nv1CjBLHXY https://t.co/bdCcrAEe8L
— New York Post (@nypost) November 4, 2026
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In an accompanying editorial, titled “A Terrible Night for Republicans Leaves Challenges for BOTH Parties,” the editorial board questioned Trump’s influence over the candidates he backed. “In this election, at least, Trump’s touch was toxic: Candidates he helped pick all lost or at least badly underperformed,” it wrote.
That is a particularly uncomfortable assessment for a president who spent weeks urging voters to treat the midterms as a verdict on his leadership. Trump repeatedly told supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” After the results came in, he took to Truth Social to insist that Republicans would have won “IN A LANDSLIDE” if he had actually been running.
As Republican losses continue to roll in, President Trump took to Truth Social to react.
“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” he posted. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.” https://t.co/B4fnKG5Snj
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 4, 2026
The Post also pointed to frustration over Trump’s handling of Iran and the economy. Those issues weighed heavily on voters as Democrats made gains in states Republicans had hoped to hold. Roll Call’s election coverage documented the Democratic gains and the new balance of power in Congress.
The newspaper had a few words for Democrats, too. Winning an election by opposing Trump might have worked this time, but the editorial board questioned whether that would be enough to keep voters on their side.
“Dems won purely as Trump’s opposition, without expressing any realistic vision going forward,” it wrote. The board added that “the public’s not likely to approve if they do nothing but continue to fight the president.”
It also reminded the incoming majority that voters would expect results, not just resistance. “Americans want them to do what they clearly feel Trump and the GOP failed to do these last two years: truly work in the public interest,” the editorial said.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
