President Trump dismissed Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections during a November 4 call with CBS News, insisting the party would have won easily if his name had been on the ballot while offering to work with Democrats despite promising to veto their agenda if they refuse cooperation.
Trump Points Finger at Candidates and Absent Base
The president attributed Republican defeats to weak candidates and voters who stayed home without his name driving turnout. “I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that,” Trump told CBS News. “If I was, we would have won.” He claimed some losing candidates were “not my friend and the base knows that better than anybody.” Trump said supporters simply stayed back rather than turning out for Republicans he hadn’t fully endorsed, calling the situation “sad in the sense that we would have won easily.”
When asked about his reaction to the losses, Trump maintained he had done everything possible to help Republican candidates succeed. “I tried hard” and “left it on the field,” he said, before adding that unsuccessful candidates “could not get elected” despite his efforts. “The people didn’t come out as they should have. If I were on the ballot they would have been out. But they didn’t. It’s just one of those things, you know? It’s a point in time. Happened many times before.”
“They did a good job.”
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Extends Olive Branch While Threatening Vetoes
Despite the electoral setback for his party, Trump congratulated Democrats and expressed willingness to collaborate with the newly empowered opposition. “My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country,” the president stated. However, he immediately added a warning that Democrats would face total obstruction if they refused cooperation. “I think they’re gonna want to work with me,” Trump said. “Otherwise I’d just veto everything and they’re not gonna want that.”
Iran War Timeline Controlled by President
In a separate comment during the same call, Trump asserted complete control over the timeline for ending the ongoing Iran conflict. “It’ll end when I say it ends,” the president declared, offering no specific timeline or conditions for concluding military operations. The statement reflected Trump’s characteristic approach to foreign policy decision-making, emphasizing presidential authority over diplomatic or military considerations. The midterm results now position Democrats with increased congressional power to potentially challenge or constrain Trump’s unilateral foreign policy decisions heading into the final two years of his term.