Donald Trump faced a furious backlash after Republicans suffered a devastating defeat at the polls.
His vice-president and eldest son blamed the President’s war with Iran for the party’s sweeping losses.
In a string of political shocks, Democrats captured control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
Voters delivered a harsh verdict on Mr Trump, with anger over soaring inflation and higher fuel prices—linked to the conflict in the Middle East—driving the backlash. Vice-President JD Vance offered a scathing assessment of the Republican defeat as he positions himself for a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
Senior Republicans and loyal MAGA supporters also turned on the President, describing the result as a “disaster of the first magnitude” and warning that his political agenda could be crippled during the final two years of his term.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Mr Vance wrote in an extended social-media post, arguing that many voters who backed Mr Trump in 2024 had now abandoned him.
He also condemned those defending the military campaign, which has cost the United States more than £35billion and has yet to produce a clear resolution.
“If you want to argue that it was worth it—that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it—then make that case,” Mr Vance wrote.
President Trump brushed aside the criticism during a rambling appearance before cameras, barely acknowledging his party’s midterm defeat
Instead, he signed one of the final beams destined for the new ballroom
Vice-President JD Vance broke his silence on the Republican losses on Wednesday
“Argue that it was a price worth paying. Whether people agree or disagree, at least that would be honest.
“But everybody knows why we lost. Any serious discussion about where we go next has to begin with that fact.”
Donald Trump Jr backed the vice-president, sharing the statement online and saying he agreed with “every word” of Mr Vance’s criticism.
The President, however, appeared to shrug off the complaints in a rambling televised speech, largely avoiding the scale of his party’s midterm defeat.
Much of his attention instead centred on his $400million (£300million) White House ballroom project. Critics in Washington accused him of being “tone deaf” and ignoring Americans struggling with the rising cost of everyday essentials.
Under growing pressure, Mr Trump conceded that Mr Vance’s argument was “largely true”, saying the conflict had pushed petrol prices up “a little bit” in the short term.
He nevertheless remained unapologetic about confronting Tehran, insisting the campaign had been justified. “If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again because, in the long term, that’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Mr Vance spoke as Republicans tried to recover from a stunning defeat. The Grand Old Party was hit by a “blue tsunami”, losing both the Senate and the House of Representatives as Democrats won in states previously considered safely Republican.
The political shockwave energised Democrats, who captured deep-red territory including Kansas. The state elected a Democratic senator for the first time since the Great Depression.
Democrats also pulled off a dramatic victory in Texas, winning their first Senate seat there in nearly three decades after James Talarico defeated the Trump-backed candidate. The rising Democratic star is already being discussed as a possible 2028 White House contender.
Further Democratic Senate victories came in Iowa and Ohio, Mr Vance’s home state—both of which Mr Trump carried by more than 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
As commentators began writing Mr Trump’s political obituary, the White House sought to reinforce his authority by posting an image of him sitting in the Oval Office with a clenched fist. The caption read: “PSA [Public service announcement]: Trump is still your president.”
The result sets the stage for two years of gridlock in Washington, with Mr Trump facing a Democratic-controlled Congress as he attempts to pass legislation and advance his policy programme.
Trump signs the final piece of steel destined for construction of the White House ballroom
The President concentrated instead on his White House ballroom project, visiting the building site before answering a few questions about the midterm rout
“The American people have rejected the depravity, corruption and incompetence of failed lame-duck President Donald J Trump,” Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff said while celebrating his re-election in Georgia.
Although Mr Trump’s name did not appear on the ballot—despite urging voters to treat the election as though it did—the midterms became a nationwide test of his leadership.
“I wasn’t on the ballot. If I had been, we would have won easily,” he told Politico, blaming “poor candidates”. He later congratulated the Democrats on doing a “good job” and said he would cooperate with them rather than oppose them.
In Britain, Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared to sharpen the criticism, saying American voters had demanded action on the cost-of-living crisis.
Andy Burnham appeared to add to the criticism, saying Americans had voted for action on living costs
Democrat James Talarico celebrates his victory in the Texas midterm race
“The world now has an opportunity to unite around the issue affecting all of us: the cost of living,” Mr Burnham said.
“I cannot ease the pressure on people’s household finances until the conflict in the Middle East is resolved, along with the war in Ukraine started by Russia. Those are the issues we must focus on now, and I hope the world gets a chance to do that.”
As the repercussions spread, tensions inside the Republican Party intensified, with prominent figures openly criticising Mr Trump.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the result “close to an extinction-level event for Republicans” and pointed to controversies including the Epstein Files, which the President had attempted to suppress.
“It’s a total, complete rejection of President Trump. It’s on him,” Bill Miller, a leading Republican lobbyist in Texas, told the BBC. “This is a disaster of the first magnitude. Nobody saw it coming.”
“It was one mistake after another,” said Gregg Peppin, a Republican strategist from Minnesota. “State after state made it clear that voters did not like the President’s policies.”
Speculation also grew in Washington over who might be blamed for the catastrophic losses, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles reportedly among those facing scrutiny.
Mr Trump rejected suggestions that he was considering removing his defence chief, saying: “I think he’s doing a good job.”
With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, Mr Trump is heading into a “lame-duck” phase during the final two years of his presidency, leaving his opponents in a position to block much of his agenda.
Rather than relying on Congress to enact new laws, the President will increasingly turn to executive orders in areas where he retains authority, including tariffs, immigration, foreign policy and military action. He can also use his veto to prevent Democratic legislation from taking effect.
He is also likely to face Democratic-led investigations into his conduct, his allies and members of his family, while the possibility of a third impeachment remains on the table.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, who is expected to oversee several investigations as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, delivered a direct warning to Mr Trump and his allies: “Lawyer up.”
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would seek the speakership when Congress votes in January, describing the midterm results as a “stunning rebuke of MAGA extremism”.