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Furious Trump declares GOP ‘would have won in a landslide’ if he was on midterm ballot
President Trump said Republicans would have won the 2026 midterms “in a landslide” if he had been on the ballot, as his party suffered heavy losses. The result matters because Republicans lost seats they had previously considered safe, while the White House responded by pledging stronger resistance to Democratic policies.
Trump’s claim came despite exit polls putting his approval rating at 38%; 62% of voters blamed him for higher prices and 71% wanted Congress to do more to check his power. A White House official blamed the defeats partly on candidate quality, argued that Trump-backed candidates had performed better when he was campaigning, and predicted gas prices would fall if the Iran conflict were resolved.
In short
- Trump claimed his presence would have secured a Republican landslide.
- Republicans lost previously safe House and Senate seats.
- Exit polls showed low approval and concern over prices and presidential power.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Trump’s argument is that his personal campaigning and endorsements have helped Republican candidates perform better, so his presence on the ballot could have mobilised supporters and improved turnout. A White House supporter could also argue that local candidate quality and circumstances such as high prices, rather than the party’s broader agenda, drove the losses, and that conditions may change before the next election.
The case against
The results give reason to doubt that Trump on the ballot would have produced a Republican landslide: Republicans lost seats they had considered safe, while reported polls showed low approval and widespread concern about prices and presidential power. His critics could argue that putting him on the ballot might have amplified those concerns and made losses more likely, rather than offsetting them.