The United States President, Donald Trump, has congratulated Democrats following their victories in the 2026 midterm elections, admitting that the opposition party “did a good job” after Republicans suffered major losses across the country.
Trump made the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday, hours after Democrats secured control of the US Senate by defeating several Republican candidates, including those endorsed and backed by the president.
Asked about the election outcome, Trump acknowledged that he was surprised by the results, despite the massive rallies and campaign appearances he organized in support of Republican candidates ahead of the polls.
“We had tremendous rallies. I’m a little bit surprised,” he said.
The president, however, adopted a conciliatory tone toward Democrats, saying there were several issues on which both parties could work together in Congress.
He acknowledged that Democrats had performed well during the election campaign and suggested that cooperation between the two parties remained possible despite their political differences.
Trump also ruled out making changes to his Cabinet in response to the Republican Party’s poor performance in the elections.
His comments came after Democrats secured at least 52 seats in the Senate, surpassing the 51-seat threshold required for a majority and ending Republican control of the chamber.
The opposition party recorded victories in several states traditionally associated with Republican politics, including Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Several Trump-backed candidates also lost their races, including Republican Ken Paxton in Texas and Michael Whatley in North Carolina.
Democrats also defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Texas, with Gina Hinojosa emerging victorious in the gubernatorial election.
The results have placed the Trump administration in a difficult political position, with Democrats expected to exercise greater oversight over the president’s policies and administration through their control of the Senate.
Before acknowledging the Democrats’ performance on Fox News, Trump had repeatedly taken to his Truth Social platform to react angrily to the unfolding election results.
In one post, he attempted to distance himself from the Republican losses, insisting that his absence from the ballot was responsible for the party’s poor performance.
“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,” Trump wrote.
In another post, Trump threatened to become a political commentator, saying he would analyze the reasons Republican candidates won or lost their respective races.
“I’m going to become a Political Pundit, both good and bad, on the reasons these Candidates won and lost!” he wrote.
He also blamed Abbott’s defeat on what he described as the Texas governor’s shift away from Republican principles.
“If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” Trump said.
RINO is an acronym for “Republican In Name Only,” a derogatory expression frequently used by conservative Republicans against members they consider insufficiently loyal to the party’s political positions.
Trump also shared an image of a red cap bearing the word “VETO,” apparently signaling his intention to block legislation passed by the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress.
The president further criticized Fox News, accusing the conservative television network of contributing to Republican losses by giving airtime to Democratic politicians and commentators.
“FoxNews [sic] bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition, and worse,” he wrote.
He specifically questioned the network’s decision to feature former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on its election coverage panel.
Trump’s criticism of Fox News came despite his subsequent decision to appear on the network to discuss the election results with Baier.
The 2026 midterm elections are a major setback for Republicans, who had entered the polls controlling both chambers of Congress.
With Democrats taking the Senate majority and making substantial gains in the House of Representatives, the opposition party is positioned to increase scrutiny of the Trump administration during the remaining two years of his presidency.
Control of the Senate gives Democrats significant influence over congressional committees, investigations, and confirmation proceedings for senior government appointments and federal judicial nominees.
