# Trump admits bitter midterms defeat: ‘I’m a little bit surprised. I thought they’d do better’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/trump-admits-bitter-midterms-defeat-im-a-little-bit-surprised-i-thought-theyd-do-better/
- Published: 2026-11-04T08:44:46+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T03:12:37+00:00
- Original publisher: El País (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-11-04/trump-admits-bitter-midterms-defeat-im-a-little-bit-surprised-i-thought-theyd-do-better.html
- Topics: Americas, Elections, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Democrats took control of the House and Senate.
- Trump said Republicans did worse than he expected.
- Voter concerns included inflation, tariffs and Iran.

## Summary

Donald Trump acknowledged that Republicans had performed worse than he expected in the midterm elections, as Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. The result limits his ability to pursue his agenda during his final two years in office and opens the contest to succeed him as the Republican presidential nominee in 2028.

Trump had campaigned across about 30 states and posted nearly 200 times in support of Republican candidates, but voter concerns about inflation, living costs, tariffs and the war with Iran weighed on his party. He said he would work with Democrats and defended his candidate choices, despite notable losses including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham. Trump had earlier urged the Justice Department to block Alaska’s result if the Republican candidate lost.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.