First posted on Instagram
President Donald Trump has congratulated Democrats on their victories in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, while insisting the results are not a rejection of his leadership.
In a telephone interview with Fox News in the early hours of Wednesday, November 4, as results showed Democrats taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Trump said: "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," he added. "I think we've done... We've had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency, in terms of the economy, in terms of all the things that we've done."
Trump had earlier posted on social media as results came in that he was not on the ballot, writing: "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!"
The results end two years of unified Republican control of Congress. Democrats picked up seven Senate seats, including in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, and several governorships, according to early tallies, and projections put Democrats at around 255 seats in the House, well above the 218 needed for a majority. The new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027.
Trump also signalled how he intends to handle the Democratic Congress, telling Fox News presenter Bret Baier he would use his veto powers against legislation he considers unacceptable, saying: "They'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them."
Exit polling pointed to the economy as voters' dominant concern, with about half of voters saying they saw the midterms as an opportunity to rebuke Trump, and Trump acknowledged that the war in Iran and the resulting rise in petrol prices had played a part in the Republican losses.