How Trump ignited a midterm drubbing for Republicans

How Trump ignited a midterm drubbing for Republicans. Joey Garrison, Zac Anderson USA TODAY.

Key points

• When Hebert Hoover was president, texas hadn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988; and Kansas not since 1932.
• USA TODAY White House correspondent Francesca Chambers explains what major wins for Democrats in the midterms could mean for the MAGA movement in 2028.
• "This is no endorsement of the Democratic Party or the Democratic agenda, " Luntz continued.
• More: Democrats win control of Congress, Collins concedes in Maine: Live results.
• "It seems like voters took Trump seriously when he told them to vote as if he were on the ballot, " remarked Sarah Matthews.

WASHINGTON – Americans delivered an emphatic repudiation of President Donald Trump's second term Tuesday as Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress by wide margins and scored wins deep in red territory after running against Trump's unpopular war in Iran and his economic agenda.

In a midterm election that Trump embraced as a referendum on himself – actively pleading to his supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" – Republicans were dealt a crippling blow as a massive blue tsunami swept away battleground GOP candidates.

"It seems like voters took Trump seriously when he told them to vote as if he were on the ballot, " remarked Sarah Matthews. This person served as a deputy press secretary during Trump's first administration, adding that the president "has no one to blame but himself."

More: Why did Texas turn blue? Democrats send shockwave in GOP stronghold.

Republicans lost Senate races in Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Ohio and Iowa ‒ GOP bastions that Trump carried by double digits in 2024 and to which he personally created multiple visits in the homestretch of the midterm campaign.

When Hebert Hoover was president, texas hadn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988; and Kansas not since 1932. While additionally flipping enough Republican-held seats to comfortably win the House, democrats were projected to win almost every key battleground Senate race despite largely fighting on political terrain that strongly favored Republicans.

"In sweeping and decisive victories, the American individuals have rebuked the depravity, corruption, and incompetence of the failed lame duck president, Donald J. Trump, " Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff remarked in his victory speech.

Notably, the staggering GOP loses amounted to a resounding midterm thumping for Republicans on Trump's watch – one that the president rapidly tried to distance himself from.

"I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" Trump wrote on social media as it became clear the GOP was heading for a dismal election night.

Notably, the outcome makes Trump a lame-duck president legislatively for his final two years in office, threatening the iron grip he's held on the Republican Party for the past decade – particularly as attention shifts to a 2028 presidential election that won't feature him as the party's nominee.

Historically, sitting presidents with Trump's level of unpopularity stay far away from the campaign trail during midterms to allow their party's candidates to distance themselves from the White House.

But Trump, despite his record-low approval ratings hovering below 35%, barnstormed the country with more than two dozen rallies in a push to energize MAGA supporters – even if his presence might have undercut the same Republican Senate candidates he aimed to support.

In an election dominated by Americans' reservations concerning the economy and rising cost of living, Trump mocked the term "affordability" as a creation of Democrats and noted higher gas costs were a "small price to pay" for achieving his administration's intends in Iran.

Rather than focusing on the economy during his final speech before Election Day, Trump devoted the bulk of his closing argument to talking regarding his recent renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump boasted regarding clearing algae from the D.C. Landmark and installing the best granite, waiting until more than 20 minutes into his speech to finally mention an election was taking place the after day.

Longtime pollster Frank Luntz remarked voters who went from casting ballots for Trump in past elections to backing Democrats felt misled by his campaign promise to lower costs. Luntz pointed to a focus group he conducted of Republican midterm voters from Texas, Ohio, Georgia and South Carolina who backed Trump in 2024 but voted for Democrats in Senate races this year.

"They felt disappointed and just disillusioned with what's happened over the past two years, specifically over affordability, " Luntz remarked. "They all ‒ no matter what part of the country they were from ‒ complained about how high prices had gotten and how they had been promised lower prices."

"This is no endorsement of the Democratic Party or the Democratic agenda, " Luntz continued. "It was rejection on what happened, or more importantly what didn't happen, over the last two years." How will democrats midterm wins impact Donald Trump and MAGA movement.

USA TODAY White House correspondent Francesca Chambers explains what major wins for Democrats in the midterms could mean for the MAGA movement in 2028. More: Trump's midterm reckoning: A repudiation or triumph awaits.

Meanwhile, the Reflecting Pool event encapsulated a broader theme that handcuffed Republicans: Throughout the campaign, Trump seemed more interested in talking regarding his legacy Washington projects – his White House ballroom and helipad, his aims for a triumphal arch and renovated Washington golf course – than kitchen-table problems that registered with voters. Democrats capitalized on the disconnect.

Notably, a senior White House official. This person spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity, defended Trump's midterm strategy, arguing he put the party in a better position with a relentless campaign schedule that included 30 events in 20 states over a four-week stretch.

Trump would've been criticized if he hadn't been aggressive in trying to support the party, the official stated.

After the Democratic rout was on, Trump conceded the war in Iran weighed on Republican candidates, telling Fox News in an interview, "I think a part of it was Iran."

Yet he was still apparently unwilling to accept blame for the devasting outcome for Republicans.

"I don't like to consider it a defeat for me. I wasn't on the ballot, if you're on the ballot it's different than if you're not on the ballot, " Trump informed Fox News.

For context, the president's decision to thrust himself into the center of the midterm campaign despite voters' deep misgivings regarding his performance may have assisted sink candidates in key races by tying them more closely to him. Some tried to distance themselves from Trump, but were swept out anyway.

Some of the most stinging GOP loses came in states where Trump endorsed close allies in the primary who went on to struggle in the general election. Perhaps the most glaring example was the scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. This person unseated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the state's Senate primary with the president's backing but consistently trailed Democrat James Talarico in polls before his defeat on Nov. 3. Trump's endorsement of Darline Graham, a political novice and the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, boosted her through the primary, but resulted in a shocking general election defeat in a state Trump carried by 18 percentage points.

"It certainly didn't help that he handpicked weak candidates who only made matters worse, " Matthews remarked.

Ultimately, though, even Republicans viewed as solid candidates were unable to overcome the dismal political climate for the GOP, one driven by deep discontent with Trump. That includes Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a political survivor who had overcome poor polling in previous elections and carved out a reputation as an independent-minded moderate willing to vote against Trump. She lost her bid for a sixth term to Democrat Troy Jackson.

"Bad night is an understatement, " remarked Charlie Black, a Republican strategist. "We lost every seat in play and some that we did not know were in play."

Notably, the results leave the president politically weakened, facing a hostile Democratic Congress that is eager to rein him in.

Democrats have signaled they will launch an aggressive oversight campaign, with Trump administration authorities facing a barrage of congressional hearings and potential subpoenas.

Trump's critics are eager to shut down his controversial second term agenda. It has featured mass deportations, sweeping tariffs and military actions that have drawn solid criticism.

For context, the president informed Fox News on election night that he hopes to work with Democrats, mentioning immigration as an area where both sides might be able to come together. "I could work with them on many, many things, " Trump remarked.

Yet he additionally vowed to wield his veto pen liberally to block Democrat priorities and force them to negotiate, saying: "After a couple months of vetoes, they'll call and they'll say 'How do we get this stuff done?' And we'll work together."

Trump, nevertheless, additionally faces the possibility of growing dissent within the ranks of his own party, with the midterms showing the perils of Republicans aligning too closely with the president.

Notably, the election could be an inflection point for the GOP. It trump has dominated for a decade but now must grapple with his waning appeal to voters and find a path back to winning battleground states ahead of the 2028 election.

"When the very person you've spent years defending starts costing you elections, that loyalty becomes a whole lot harder to justify, " Matthews remarked. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around how Trump ignited a midterm drubbing for Republicans point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.