Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crushing defeat suffered by Republicans in the US midterm elections as a political disaster that could weaken the party for years, distancing himself from President Donald Trump on the reasons for the losses.
“What happened is close to a catastrophe that threatens the existence of Republicans in many areas of the country,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Florida on Wednesday.
He added: “This was not an expression of support for the Democrats, but rather a rejection of the Republicans in Washington,” describing the defeat as “the political equivalent of a meteorite collision.”
The Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's elections.
DeSantis disagreed with Trump's position, who blamed the Republican Party candidates for the defeat, considering that his personal popularity was not reflected in the level of support they received, but he acknowledged that the war on Iran and the resulting rise in fuel prices contributed to the losses.
DeSantis warned that Republicans may have difficulty regaining control of Congress for years. He said he did not expect the party to be able to regain its majority in the Senate in 2028, and also largely ruled out winning a majority in the House of Representatives. He added that it could take years before Republicans can again control the White House and both chambers of Congress together.
DeSantis competed with Trump for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2024, but withdrew after a poor result in the Iowa caucuses, and then announced his support for Trump. He did not rule out running for the presidency again in 2028. When asked about his plans in March, he said: “We will see.” His term as governor of Florida ends in January.
He also highlighted the success of the Republicans in Florida, where the party maintained its position despite its losses in other states, attributing this to “the record of his administration and voters’ confidence in it.”
Republicans suffered a resounding defeat in the US midterm elections, after a “blue wave” swept the House of Representatives and the Senate, and toppled historic Republican strongholds, from Texas to Kansas and Ohio, in a major reversal of the balance of power in Washington.
Democrats won at least 231 seats in the House of Representatives and 54 in the Senate, in addition to remarkable gains in gubernatorial races. US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran was “largely” behind the defeat, but he considered that the Republicans would have won if his name had been on the ballot papers. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the new majority, while at the same time threatening to use his “veto” against its agenda.
Vice President J.D. Vance held the war primarily responsible for the loss, noting that voters who supported Trump in 2024 had shifted toward the Democrats, despite their heavy participation in the vote. It was reported from a poll that they conditioned their return to the Republicans on ending the war, reducing the cost of living and inflation, giving priority to the “America First” principle, and changing the nature of the relationship with Israel.
Democrats now face the challenge of holding Trump accountable and fulfilling their economic promises, as they prepare to tighten oversight of his administration and press to end the war.
US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, expressed his support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one day after Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, which reflected voter anger over the war on Iran.
In response to a question about whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, whom Trump described as a staunch supporter of the war, the US President told reporters: “No, I think he is doing a very good job.”
This response comes in contrast to the position of former President George Bush, who fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the morning after the 2006 midterm elections, when voter dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq helped Democrats win control of Congress.
But sources said Trump could still replace Hegseth, with Republicans continuing to assess their losses.
One of Trump's advisers said that Hegseth "may be on the verge of losing his position" because of the war. He added: “Someone will be held responsible for this, and it is obvious that this person will not be (Trump).”
The US President previously described Hegseth as one of the main supporters of this unpopular conflict, and said on March 23: “Pete, I think you were the first to raise your voice, and said: Let’s do it, because we cannot allow them to have a nuclear weapon.”
On Wednesday, Vice President J.D. Vance publicly questioned the feasibility of the Iran war, saying it had cost Republicans control of Congress.
The Department of Defense said that Hegseth is “100 percent committed” to leading the Pentagon until the end of Trump’s term, on January 20, 2029.
Possibilities of impeachment and impeachment
Hegseth has long been a divisive figure in American politics, sparking feuds even within his own Republican Party. Indeed, earlier this year, one of the Republican legislators, US Representative Thomas Massie, submitted a memorandum to impeach and dismiss him, accusing him of abusing his position to launch hostilities against Iran without the approval of Congress.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS News on Tuesday night that Hegseth's "reckoning" was coming, and that his tense relationship with lawmakers was undermining the Trump administration's efforts to pass a $1.5 trillion defense spending package in Congress.
Tillis said, as the results of the midterm elections emerged: “I think that after the elections, we have to determine whether he is the most appropriate person to present those needs to Congress or not, if he wants to accomplish something before the end of the current Congress session, which has only 60 days remaining.”
Democrats have vowed to investigate Hegseth and his handling of Pentagon affairs, and aides say this may include everything from his handling of the war against Iran to his dismissals of senior military personnel, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He could also face scrutiny over his policy toward Ukraine and U.S. military strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking in Latin American waters, which some Democrats say could constitute war crimes.
