Republicans call for Trump to change course after midterm drubbing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US President Donald Trump faced pressure from Republicans on Wednesday to change course after a midterm election rout handed Democrats control of Congress and voters rejected his handpicked candidates in key races.

Republican allies and strategists called for Trump to shake up his White House personnel, restore discipline and scrap policies they blamed for the losses, including the Iran war and tariffs, as his presidency enters its final years.

Veteran Republican strategist John Feehery called the results a "huge disaster" for Trump.

"He needs to clean house," Feehery said. "Every day from this point forward, he's becoming more and more lame." But Trump showed little indication that he viewed the election outcome as a reason to change direction.

"I don't view it as a hit on me," he told Fox News late on Tuesday.

Democrats will now have the power to block Trump's legislation, investigate his administration and challenge his nominees. That is expected to push Trump, who has already used executive authority aggressively, toward an even greater reliance on unilateral action.

He will also have to decide whether to double down on an agenda that some Republicans fear has become a political liability, particularly for potential successors eyeing White House bids in 2028.

US Vice President JD Vance, who is viewed as Trump's likely political heir, appeared to put some distance between himself and the president on Wednesday, blaming the Iran war for the midterm losses. Such breaks could become more common if Republicans conclude Trump's longtime grip on the party's voters is weakening, strategists and party officials said.

Inside the White House, senior aides were bracing for staff departures, possible Cabinet changes and Democratic investigations, according to a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It absolutely sucks to be here right now," the official said. "Morale is as low as it can get." The official said internal polling had warned six weeks before the election that Republicans were headed for losses in both chambers, but Trump refused to change course on Iran despite warnings about the political consequences.

"Ultimately, he just didn't care," the official said. "He refused to listen to anyone." Trump acknowledged late on Tuesday that the eight-month-old Iran war had hurt Republican candidates but defended his decision to launch the conflict.

Republican concerns extended beyond the war. In focus groups conducted for competitive Senate races in places like Michigan and Iowa, national Republican political advisers grew increasingly concerned this summer as more Republican and independent voters voiced opposition to the president's focus on the White House ballroom and Washington renovations, a Republican political adviser said.

"If Trump spends the next two years talking about this same shit, we will get shellacked again in the next election," the adviser said.

Yet on Wednesday, Trump gathered reporters for an impromptu visit to the ballroom construction site and defended the time he has devoted to the project.

"For me it's relaxing," he said.

The White House also struck a defiant public tone, posting a photograph of Trump on social media with the message, "PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT." Trump still holds considerable power. Reuters previously reported that the White House has spent months preparing executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing and federal spending that could allow him to advance parts of his agenda despite Democratic opposition.

But executive authority will not be able to shield the administration from congressional probes.

"Nobody wants to deal with the investigations," the official said.