WASHINGTON — Recriminations broke out across the Republican Party on Thursday after midterm election defeats handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress and key governorships, prompting party figures to openly place blame on President Donald Trump.
Democratic victories Tuesday flipped the Senate and House, erasing narrow GOP majorities and fundamentally altering Washington’s balance of power for the remainder of Trump’s term. Democrats secured at least seven Senate pickups and 27 House seats, with several races still uncalled, Fox News reported. Trump’s handpicked candidates suffered defeats across multiple states that were previously considered safe Republican terrain.
Revolt Within the Party Ranks
GOP donors, aides, and lawmakers voiced frustration over Trump’s influence on candidate selection, economic focus, and foreign policy. Critics pointed to his primary challenges against established figures such as former Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, as well as voter backlash against tariffs, high living costs, and the war in Iran.
“Look, first and foremost, this is a Trump loss,” Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive and Republican donor, told Fox News Digital. “He wanted to be — he wanted people to consider him on the ballot. And unfortunately, as a Republican, that’s what we got.” Eberhart added that he believes Trump enters lame-duck status immediately, predicting future Republican candidates will seek distance from the president.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also faulted Trump’s messaging on social platform X, writing that the outcome “was a total referendum on Trump” after he urged supporters to vote as if he were running.
One House Republican who spoke to Fox News criticized leadership for focusing on “bluster” and superficial branding rather than policy, citing changes like “Gulf of America, Lake of America, Department of War.” Another GOP lawmaker cited concerns over candidate quality, Trump’s immigration actions, tariffs, and a departure toward populism.
Trump Endorsements Suffer Major Defeats
A Guardian tally found that just half of the 26 Senate candidates endorsed by Trump had won as of Wednesday evening. Trump-backed gubernatorial nominees fared worse, with only nine winning out of 23 races, while Democrats flipped governor offices in Texas, Iowa, and Nevada.
In Texas, Democratic newcomer James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, making Talarico the first Democrat elected to represent the state in the Senate since 1988, The Guardian reported. In the Texas governor race, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. In South Carolina, Trump ally Darline Graham lost to Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews, marking that state’s first Democratic Senate victory since 1998. Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper captured a Senate seat in North Carolina over Trump pick Michael Whatley, and Abdul El-Sayed defeated Trump-endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who poured an estimated $224 million into Texas Republican races, saw his investments unravel as Democrats swept the state, Business Insider reported. Following the losses, shares of Musk’s companies Tesla and SpaceX dropped sharply, erasing roughly $130 billion in combined market valuation. Talarico told CNN on Wednesday that while his victory proved power could not be purchased, he remained open to working with anyone, including Musk.
Trump Camp Deflects Responsibility
Trump rejected claims that his record caused the midterm wave. On his Truth Social platform, Trump maintained that he “wasn’t on the Ballot” and claimed that had he been, Republicans “would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
Trump outside adviser Alex Bruesewitz argued the losses stemmed from weak campaign performances rather than the president, posting on X that “most Republican candidates this cycle were uninspiring, lazy, and thoroughly ineffective communicators.”
With incoming lawmakers set to take their seats in January, Democrats are expected to elevate Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York as the first Black speaker of the House, CNBC reported. How the new congressional majorities will handle existing tariffs and overseas policy remains to be seen as Trump heads to planned international summits in the coming weeks.
