Washington DC [US], November 4 (ANI): Acknowledging a major electoral setback for Republicans as Democrats are projected to take control of both chambers of the US Congress, President Donald Trump has congratulated the opposition party on its midterm victories, expressing willingness to work with Democrats while maintaining that his absence from the ballot contributed to the Republican losses.
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump said he looked forward to working with Democrats for the country’s benefit, despite the political shift that could significantly limit his administration’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his presidency.
“My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country,” Trump told CBS News.
Emphasising his willingness to engage with the opposition, the President said, “I know a lot of Democrats, I have total veto power and I’m sure we’ll be able to work things out.”
“I think they’re gonna want to work with me,” he added, warning that otherwise he could veto legislation. “Otherwise I’d just veto everything and they’re not gonna want that.”
However, Trump remained defiant while explaining the Republican defeats, repeatedly arguing that the party would have performed better had he himself been on the ballot.
“I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won,” he said.
Explaining the setbacks suffered by Republican candidates, Trump told CBS News that some candidates were not popular among voters, while others did not enjoy his support.
“In some cases they didn’t like the candidates, and in some cases those candidates were not my friend and the base knows that better than anybody. And they stayed back,” he said.
Trump further maintained that Republican candidates would have won comfortably had he contested the election, adding that voter turnout among his supporters could have been significantly higher.
Asked whether he was upset over the outcome, the President said he had made considerable efforts to support Republican candidates.
“I tried to help people get elected, and they were not elected, they couldn’t get elected,” Trump told CBS News, adding that he had “tried hard” and “left it on the field”.
The President’s remarks came as US networks projected a sweeping Democratic victory, with the party set to reclaim control of the House of Representatives and gain control of the Senate, marking a major reversal in the balance of power in Washington.
According to CNN, Democrats capitalised on Trump’s historically low popularity among voters to secure a significant electoral victory, positioning themselves to exercise greater oversight over the President and his administration during the remaining two years of his term.
A Democratic majority in the House could pave the way for extensive congressional scrutiny through committee investigations, hearings and subpoenas targeting the administration.
Control of the Senate would also give Democrats greater influence over legislative proceedings and the ability to block presidential nominations.
Reacting to the results on Truth Social, Trump posted an image of a red MAGA cap bearing the word “VETO”, signalling his readiness to use presidential veto powers in response to legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress.
In another post, he indicated that he intended to publicly analyse the electoral outcome, writing, “I’m going to become a Political Pundit, both good and bad, on the reasons these Candidates won and lost!”
In a separate interview with The New York Times, Trump also said he was prepared to accept the election results and cooperate with the opposition.
“I am absolutely willing to accept those results…We’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out,” he said.
The Democratic gains have been particularly striking in traditionally Republican strongholds, with the party making breakthroughs in Texas and South Carolina and securing a historic Senate victory in Kansas, ending nearly a century of Republican dominance in the state.
According to Fox News, four key voter groups — young people, independents, rural voters and Hispanic voters — shifted away from Republicans in significant numbers.
The network reported that dissatisfaction over the Iran war and tariffs contributed to the changing voter preferences.
CNN also reported that inflation, Trump’s tariff policies, the Iran war, concerns about the President’s conduct and perceptions of personal enrichment were among the issues influencing voters.
Meanwhile, Trump also addressed the ongoing Iran conflict during his conversation with CBS News, asserting that the war would end on his terms.
“The Iran war would be over when I say it’s over, basically. It’ll end when I say it ends,” he said.
The Democratic victory marks a significant political challenge for Trump, as the opposition party prepares to use its congressional majority to scrutinise his administration, influence legislation and exercise greater checks on presidential authority. (ANI)
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