Trump had all but guaranteed the results would be seen as a referendum on himself by repeatedly urging voters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" as he went into primarily conservative states to shore up Republican candidates and warned of a Washington where Democrats were in power.
But the results showed how voters rejected Trump’s handpicked candidates while airing widespread concerns about high costs in the wake of his war against Iran and his punishing tariff policy.
Trump tried to shift the blame away from himself during a Fox News interview that aired early Wednesday, saying Democrats “did a good job” in their campaigns and faulting GOP candidates for their losses. “I don’t view it as a hit on me,” he said.
The president is also bracing for major legislative fights, saying he has a “strong veto.” On Tuesday night, Trump posted a picture of his signature red ball cap with “VETO” stitched on it.
In the House, Democrats flipped districts that voted for Trump by as much as 18 points in 2024. Democrats won at least seven Senate seats in ruby-red states and battlegrounds alike: Kansas, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Despite urging voters to use their imagination when reading names on the ballot, Trump’s hand-picked Republican candidates in Texas and South Carolina faced deep skepticism.
Republican Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, lost to Democrat Annie Andrews in South Carolina after a campaign in which she faced questions about her inexperience.
Republican Ken Paxton, who lost to Democrat James Talarico in Texas, was impeached by his own party over corruption accusations and stained by a very public divorce. But Trump backed him instead of powerful incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, whom he viewed as not sufficiently supportive.
Trump’s loyalty pressures also led incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina to decide to retire after clashing with the president. To try to keep that seat in GOP hands, Trump backed his close ally Michael Whatley, who lost to Democrat Roy Cooper.
Trump was also dealt twin defeats in two Midwestern states that had borne the brunt of high diesel prices and his tariff war. Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Roger Marshall in Kansas, while Republican Ashley Hinson lost to Democrat Josh Turek.
In another sign of Republican weakness, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whom Trump had endorsed and repeatedly praised. On Tuesday night, Trump posted on social media that Abbott was to blame for his loss, calling him a “RINO" — a Republican in name only.
