Trump Congratulates Democrats After Midterm Election Losses

Following Republican setbacks in the 2026 midterm elections, President Donald Trump congratulated Democratic winners and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the opposition. During an election night phone call with CBS News, Trump discussed potential cooperation, criticized the circumstances behind Republican defeats, and defended his role in the campaign.

Trump said he expected both parties to find common ground despite their political differences. He also emphasized his constitutional authority to block legislation through presidential vetoes.

"My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," Trump said.

The president described his relationships with Democratic politicians as a potential foundation for cooperation. He also pointed to his veto authority as leverage in negotiations with the opposing party.

"I know a lot of Democrats. I have total veto power and I'm sure we'll be able to work things out," Trump said.

He suggested Democrats would have incentives to negotiate rather than risk having legislation rejected by the White House.

"I think they're gonna want to work with me. Otherwise I'd just veto everything and they're not gonna want that," Trump said.

Trump also attributed Republican losses to his absence from the ballot. He argued that his presence as a candidate would have changed the election outcome and helped Republican candidates secure victories.

"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," Trump said.

He also identified dissatisfaction with certain Republican candidates as another factor behind the party's disappointing performance. According to Trump, some candidates lacked his support, which he suggested affected enthusiasm among Republican voters.

"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. They didn't have — I mean, it's just, it's sad in the sense that we would have won easily if I was on the ballot. But I wasn't," Trump said.

When asked whether the election results had upset him, Trump defended his campaign efforts and maintained that he had done everything possible to help Republican candidates.

"tried hard" Trump said, describing his efforts to support Republican candidates, and added that he had "left it on the field."

He acknowledged that his campaign efforts had not translated into victories. Trump also argued that voter turnout among Republicans had fallen short of what the party needed.

"I tried to help people get elected, and they were not elected, they couldn't get elected," Trump said.

Trump maintained that his presence on the ballot would have encouraged more Republican supporters to participate. He described the losses as part of the recurring uncertainty surrounding American elections.

"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," Trump said.

Separately, Trump addressed the ongoing war involving Iran and indicated that its conclusion would depend on his decision. He did not provide a specific timeline for ending the conflict.

"when I say it's over, basically. It'll end when I say it ends," Trump said.