US President Donald Trump has broken his silence following a bruising midterm election defeat for the Republican Party, insisting that his party would have won the elections convincingly if he had been on the ballot.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with Politico after Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the Tuesday, November 3, 2026, midterm elections, dealing a major blow to his administration.

Asked what he thought had gone wrong for Republicans, Trump distanced himself from the defeat, arguing that his absence from the ballot was a major factor.

“I wasn't on the ballot, and we didn't get the people out. But I wasn't on the ballot. If I was on the ballot, we would have won. We would have won it all very easily,” he said.

The president, however, acknowledged that Republican voters were not particularly enthusiastic about some of the candidates presented to them.

He said: “But you know, they didn't agree, and they didn't like the candidates in most cases. Just one of those things.”

When asked whether he blamed any Republican candidates for their poor performance, Trump declined to single anyone out.

“No, I don't want to blame anybody. I just want to say, you know, it was a very interesting period of time. I watched with great interest,” he told Politico.

The US president also indicated that he was open to working with Democrats on bipartisan legislation, including a possible immigration deal, following the change in the balance of power in Congress.

Asked whether he would consider reaching an immigration agreement with Democrats, Trump said he was prepared to support any proposal he considered beneficial to the country.

“Consider doing whatever I think is appropriate and good for the country,” he responded.

He further said he had already spoken to some Democratic leaders and was willing to work across party lines, insisting that his willingness to cooperate was not new.

“I'm always willing to do that. I'm always willing to. I'd be willing to do that any time, including two years ago,” Trump said.

On how the election results could affect the final two years of his administration, Trump pointed to his presidential veto powers, suggesting that he would use them to block legislation he considered unsuitable.

“We have a powerful veto power, the ultimate, the ultimate power, and if I think it's not fit, we're just going to change,” he said.

Trump also urged Republicans to remain united following the electoral setback, stressing the need for the party to maintain its policy direction.

“All you have to do is come together. We have to just keep good policy,” he stated.

Asked about the possibility of the election results changing his thinking about the 2028 presidential race and potential Republican contenders, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump did not provide a direct response.

On the war involving Iran, the president defended his administration's actions, dismissing suggestions that the conflict and its economic consequences contributed to the Republican defeat.

He maintained that his decision to take action against Iran was in the long-term interest of the United States and the wider world.

“A lot of people say the oil price because of Iran, but I'm very, I am totally convinced that my decision on Iran for the long-term good of our country and even the world was an absolutely correct one, and it continues to be,” he said.

Trump also ruled out the need to use nuclear weapons against Iran, claiming that US military action had already significantly weakened the country.

“I don't need it. We've knocked him out already, 90%. I don't need that,” he said.

The president, however, indicated that his administration would assess its next steps based on what it considered best for the United States.

Trump in trouble as Democrats sweep House and Senate in US midterm elections

He also praised some Republican candidates who won their races, particularly Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, and credited his endorsement for their victories.

Trump further expressed confidence in House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying he believed Johnson had performed well, although he acknowledged that Republicans would have to decide on his future leadership position.

Republicans suffer major losses

The 2026 midterm elections delivered a significant setback to the Republican Party, which entered the elections controlling both chambers of the US Congress.

Democrats secured control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, ending the Republicans' grip on Congress and setting the stage for increased opposition to Trump's legislative agenda.

In the Senate, Democrats flipped at least seven Republican-held seats in traditionally Republican states and competitive battlegrounds, including Kansas, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Some of the notable defeats included Republican Senator Susan Collins, who lost her Maine seat to Democrat Troy Jackson, and Republican Senator Jon Husted, who was defeated by former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio.

In the House of Representatives, Democrats flipped more than two dozen seats, including three of Iowa's four congressional districts. They also recorded an upset in Indiana's 5th Congressional District, where Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz in a district Trump won by nearly 17 percentage points in 2024.

The Democrats also made significant gains in gubernatorial elections, flipping Republican-held governorships in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa and Texas.

The results mean Trump will spend the final two years of his presidency facing a Democratic-controlled Congress, with the opposition party now positioned to block parts of his legislative agenda, reject appointments and launch investigations into his administration.

The election outcome is widely seen as a major political rebuke to Trump, whose administration has faced public dissatisfaction over the cost of living, the war in Iran and concerns about government corruption.

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