President Donald Trump has accepted the results of Tuesday's midterm elections, in which Democrats captured control of both the House and the Senate, while blaming part of the Republican defeat on the war with Iran and warning he will veto legislation he opposes.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Trump congratulated Democrats on their victories and said he would work with them on issues such as immigration, but added that he would veto any bills he considered "insane." He also said the war in Iran played a role in the outcome, telling the network, "I think a part of it was Iran."
Trump separately told the Financial Times that the United States has no immediate plans to strike Iran, suggesting he is satisfied with the current standoff. He repeated his claim that Iran had been close to obtaining a nuclear weapon and said Tehran had killed tens of thousands of protesters in recent months.
On election night, as results showed Republicans losing their congressional majorities, Trump wrote on social media: "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter." On Wednesday, the White House posted a pointed message of its own on X, sharing an image of Trump with the caption "PSA: Trump is still your President," a reminder that the presidential term was not on the ballot in 2026.
Trump also singled out defeated Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Truth Social, writing that Abbott had "become a RINO in the last six months" and that his loss was not surprising. Vice President JD Vance was blunter, telling reporters, "The reason we lost is the war," referring to the conflict that began eight months ago and drove up fuel prices across the country.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson told staff on Wednesday morning that he would not run for minority leader after Republicans lost control of the House, according to two sources familiar with the announcement.
Once seated in January, the new Democratic majorities are expected to investigate the Trump administration and press for concessions on major legislation, setting up two years of divided government.
Sources: Reuters, Haaretz, Associated Press, USA Today, The Tribune.
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