Trump Blames Candidates After Democrats Win Congress

Trump spent election night criticizing Fox News, then called its anchors around midnight for an interview that lasted about 23 minutes. Democrats had won control of both the House and Senate, and Trump said some Republicans running with his endorsement had failed to motivate enough voters. He argued that turnout would have been stronger had he been on the ballot.

Before the call, Trump had accused Fox on Truth Social of contributing to Republican losses by featuring Democratic voices. He also criticized the network’s polling and complained about its election coverage. On air, he called its polling operation “terrible”; anchor Bret Baier responded that the results were close to what the polls had shown.

In the interview, Trump congratulated Democrats and said he had expected Republicans to do better. He spoke about his campaign rallies, claiming large crowds had gathered outside venues, and cited his record on the economy, the war in Iran and an arms deal with Israel.

Some Fox commentators and conservative figures pointed to the Iran war, higher gas prices, weak candidates and poor messaging as factors in the losses. Sean Hannity said the election would have been different had the United States not entered the war, before defending Trump’s decision. Laura Ingraham said the conflict had been difficult politically and that voters did not want war.

Trump also complained about the inclusion of ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in Fox’s election panel. The election results prompted criticism of Republican strategy among some voices on the right, though the network and Trump continue to share much of the same Republican audience.

Trump Blames Fox as His Party Loses Congress

Democrats’ wins in both chambers gave voters a clear rebuke of the Republican Party, but President Donald Trump’s election-night response focused heavily on Fox News and the candidates he had backed. He accused the network of giving Democrats too much airtime, then called its anchors around midnight to discuss the losses.

On the call, Trump said his endorsed candidates had not inspired enough people to vote and argued that turnout would have been higher if he had been on the ballot. He also praised his rallies and cited his record on the economy, the Iran war and an arms deal with Israel. His account placed responsibility on candidates and voters rather than on his own standing or choices.

Trump criticized Fox’s polling, which anchor Bret Baier defended by saying the results were close to the network’s findings. Some Fox commentators nevertheless identified the Iran conflict and high gas prices as possible reasons for Republican losses. Sean Hannity said the outcome would have been different without the war, while Laura Ingraham said voters did not want one.

The election-night debate exposes the stakes of the administration’s policies: commentators raised the costs of war, while Trump’s public explanation centered on candidate performance and media coverage. He also objected to ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appearing on Fox’s election panel.

Republicans Must Learn From Election Losses, Not Blame Fox

Republicans lost control of both chambers, and the election-night response from the right raised questions about how the party can win back voters. President Donald Trump blamed Fox News for featuring Democratic voices and said some of his endorsed candidates had failed to inspire turnout. He also argued that voters would have turned out more if he had been on the ballot.

Trump called Fox’s anchors around midnight, despite having attacked the network earlier in the evening. He congratulated Democrats, said he had expected Republicans to do better and defended his record, including on the economy and the war in Iran. When he criticized Fox’s polling, anchor Bret Baier said the results were close to its findings.

Other conservative voices pointed to mistakes within the party, poor messaging, weak candidates and high prices. Some also questioned the Iran war’s political cost. Sean Hannity said the election would have been different without it, though he defended Trump’s decision; Laura Ingraham said the conflict had been difficult to explain and voters did not want war.

The losses put pressure on Republicans to confront voters’ concerns rather than simply attack the network covering them. Trump also complained about Fox’s election panel, including ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, even as the president relied on the network’s broadcast to address the results.