U.S. President Donald Trump turned his criticism toward Fox News, regarded for years as one of his strongest supporters, after the Republican Party lost control of the House of Representatives and Senate to the Democrats in the midterm elections. On his Truth Social account, Trump claimed that the network had put former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on air and wrote, “Fox News bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and insistently giving airtime to the Democratic opposition.”
Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress, according to projections by CNN, CBS, ABC and NBC News. As a result, Trump will spend the final two years of his term facing a Congress controlled by the opposition. The new Congress will take office in January.
He called Fox live and said, “I was surprised”
Trump, who watched election night from the White House, had called into the same network’s election coverage before making his accusations. Asked about the performance of Republican candidates, Trump made a rare admission: “I was a little surprised. I thought they would do better.”
In the same conversation, Trump said the people counting the votes were more important than the candidates, but gave no example of any irregularity: “The people counting the votes are much more important than the candidates.”
As the electoral map turned against his party, Trump also addressed Greenland, one of the most ambitious foreign-policy goals of his second term: “Greenland is three times the size of Texas, and we got it.”
“VETO” on one side, “I accept the results” on the other
Trump’s messages throughout the night varied considerably. On Truth Social, he shared only an image of a red hat bearing the word “VETO,” signaling how he might approach legislation from a Democratic Congress. On Election Day, he had also told CBS News that he would use his veto power and “tremendous powers” if the Democrats won. He also said he would become a “political commentator,” commenting on why candidates won and lost, “for better or worse.”
In an interview with The New York Times, however, his tone was softer. Saying, “I am absolutely prepared to accept these results,” Trump added, “We will work with the Democrats.” Trump attributed the losses to his not being on the ballot and said he did not regret supporting Darline Graham in South Carolina and Ken Paxton in Texas. Both lost their races.
A Democratic wave from Texas to Maine
According to MS NOW data, Democrats won at least seven Senate seats held by Republicans, erasing the party’s 53-47 majority. The network estimated that Democrats had won at least 245 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in the Senate race, ending a losing streak dating back to 1994, while Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott to become the state’s first Latina woman governor. In Maine, Troy Jackson unseated Senator Susan Collins. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown defeated Senator Jon Husted, while in Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated Senator Roger Marshall. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed is poised to become the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate.
The breadth of the wave was also reflected on the maps. According to The New York Times’ county-level analysis, votes in counties where counting was nearly complete shifted by an average of 16 points toward the Democrats. In 2024, the shift had been five points toward the Republicans. Even in Tennessee and Kentucky, where Democrats lost, the shift reached 18 points.
“How did we get here?”
According to CNN’s conversations with Trump’s aides, advisers and Republican strategists, Trump asked a close associate at a rally in October, “How did we get here?” Figures within the party point to the war with Iran, which began in February, as the main reason for the defeat. The war is said to have undermined months of election preparations and driven up fuel prices. The issues drawing criticism also included the downplaying of concerns over the cost of living, weak candidate choices and late campaign spending. “Frankly, there is only one person to blame,” a Republican strategist said.
The voters’ message was also clear. According to an exit poll conducted by SSRS for U.S. media organizations, 70 percent of voters wanted Congress to exercise greater oversight of the president, while half saw the election as an opportunity to express opposition to Trump.
The next two years
Democrats who won the House can block legislation and launch investigations into the war with Iran, immigration practices and allegations of corruption. The Senate majority gives them the ability to block Trump’s judicial and senior-level appointments. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump’s MAGA movement was “in flight from one end to the other,” while Robert Garcia, expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, issued a two-word warning: “Get a lawyer.”
Videos: Fox News / social media. Images: Truth Social, The New York Times
