Jesse Watters Says GOP Coalition 'Totally Collapsed' After Midterm Sweep by Democrats

Fox News host Jesse Watters said Wednesday that the Republican Party's election coalition fell apart in this year's midterm elections, a wave that delivered control of both the House and the Senate to Democrats.

Speaking on Fox News's 'The Five,' Watters argued that financial pressure on younger Americans was central to the party's collapse. 'If you're going to make people who are young, struggling, living paycheck to paycheck, have to pay more for stuff and make it harder for them to climb the ladder, it's not going to go well,' he said.

Watters said President Trump retained support from only one age group. 'The only people he really won are people over 65, and those are people who have a home, invested in the stock market, and can kind of see the big picture, but the coalition's totally collapsed,' he added.

The host went on to list the voter blocs he said abandoned the party. 'I mean, we lost whites, whites. You can't do that, if you're a Republican. Men, Hispanics, big time,' he said, adding that 'it's going to take a while to put the coalition back together because it was in the heartland.'

His remarks followed a punishing Election Day for Republicans, who surrendered both chambers of Congress and struggled in regions where the party has historically performed well.

Democrats are projected to expand their House caucus from 214 members to 262, while their Senate caucus is expected to grow from 47 members to 55, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Republicans entered the cycle already facing steep obstacles, including voter anxiety over the cost of living, Trump's weak standing in the polls and the unpopular war in Iran.

A polling average from Decision Desk HQ showed Trump's approval rating at 38.4 percent a day before the midterms, with 58.7 percent of voters disapproving of his performance.

With an incoming Democratic Congress, Trump's policy agenda for the next two years is expected to encounter significant resistance, marking a major shift in the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches in Washington.