Trump on midterms: "Congratulations to the Democrats!"

After the clear Republican defeat in the midterms, President Donald Trump congratulated the Democrats on their victory. "Congratulations to the Democrats. They did a good job," Trump told Fox News. The Democrats have been working towards this moment for a long time.

However, Trump did not see the defeat in the midterms as a personal defeat. “I wasn’t on the ballot,” he continued to tell the station. “If it had been like that, we would have won hands down,” he said on Truth Social.

During the election campaign, Trump asked his supporters to vote as if he himself were up for election.

Trump admits role of Iran war

The Iran war played a role in the losses of his Republicans, he continued. However, voters generally supported his approach to the conflict. "I think part of it was Iran, but at the same time people understood the importance of what I did in Iran," he said.

"We will work together"

Trump also prepared for a confrontation with the Democrats. The US President said they would present him with bills that he considered “insane” and he would veto them. However, after a few months of vetoes, the other side will appear willing to compromise. “And we will work together,” Trump said.

Trump says he wants to accept the results of the midterm elections.

"Very, very bad blow"

ARD correspondent Torben Börgers spoke of a “very, very severe defeat” for Trump and his Republicans. The result is more than the expected lesson and “almost historic”. It is now possible that he will either approach the Democrats as a "deal maker" if this becomes necessary, or confront them as "Mr. Veto" - or a mixture of both. In any case, he is likely to continue to rely heavily on decrees for which he does not need Congress.

The Republicans now have to think about what conclusions they can draw from the midterms for the post-Trump period, says Börgers. Trump's term ends in January 2029.