WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump says he was surprised by the number of Democratic victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections but does not believe the results reflect negatively on his administration.
Democrats regained control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, with Georgia’s election results contributing to the party’s nationwide victories.
In a late-night interview with Fox News, Trump acknowledged the outcome while defending his administration’s record.
“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. We’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency,” Trump said.
The president also suggested that the conflict in Iran may have influenced voters’ decisions. However, he maintained that Republicans struggled in the elections because his name was not on the ballot.
According to an ABC News poll, most voters expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and the economy.
With Democrats preparing to take control of Congress, attention now turns to whether the party can advance its legislative priorities despite opposition from the White House.
ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl said Trump will continue to hold significant authority even without Republican control of Congress.
“Trump retains tremendous power even without control of Congress. Obviously immunity himself from the Supreme Court, and he has those executive powers that he has pushed the limits of in the aspect of he will do even more so now without control of Congress. And he’s used the Justice Department to go after his political enemies, I expect he will see that happening as well,” Karl said.
Trump said he is willing to work with Democrats when possible but made it clear that he intends to reject legislation he opposes.
“Well they’re in control but they’re really not in control because they can send over 50 different great bills that they’re all excited about and I send it back with a nice stamp Veto,” Trump said.
The president congratulated Democrats on their election victories while maintaining that the results do not represent a rejection of his presidency.
