President Donald Trump offered his first public assessment of the midterm election results on Wednesday, attributing the Republican defeat to an inability to transfer the enthusiasm of his base to other candidates. During a ceremony to raise the final steel beam for a new White House ballroom, the president acknowledged that Democrats had secured control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's vote.
In his initial remarks, Trump focused on the construction project and did not mention the election results. It was not until the question and answer session that he addressed the outcome directly. He argued that his personal presence on the ballot would have changed the results, citing the large crowds that attended his rallies as evidence of strong support.
"If I were on the ballot, we would have won. You saw the people that were packed. Thousands and thousands of people at every rally," Trump said. He continued by explaining that the intense affection shown at these events was difficult to pass along to the candidates running for office, stating, "You couldn't transfer that love. There was such love at those rallies. It was incredible. And, we weren't able to transfer the love to candidates."
The president also responded to Vice President JD Vance's previous comments, which suggested that the war with Iran contributed to the Republican losses. Trump agreed with this assessment, noting that the conflict had caused a short term increase in gasoline prices. However, he maintained that the action was necessary in the long run to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
"I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term and probably that's, probably it's true," he admitted. Trump added that he would make the same decision again if given the choice, emphasizing that allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon was not an option for the future of the nation.
He further defended his strategic decision by stating that he expected oil prices to rise even more significantly. According to the president, the tradeoff was worth it to ensure national security. "You have no choice. I mean, I thought the oil would go up a lot more, and I did it on that basis. You have no choice. You have to do it. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon or everything that you see here someday might not exist," he said.
Trump also addressed questions regarding the timing of his speech on Monday at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. He described the address as a positive event that received favorable reviews, comparing it to the current ballroom project. He insisted that the speech was focused on the location and its significance, rather than the political climate.
When asked about Vance's detailed social media post analyzing the election loss, Trump said he was aware of the vice president's perspective. Vance had listed four strategies for winning back voters, including ending the war and focusing on the cost of living. The president said he thought the analysis was fine and reiterated his confidence that Iran would never possess a nuclear weapon.
Looking ahead to working with the new congressional leadership, Trump expressed optimism that he could collaborate with the Democrats unless they chose to be destructive. He noted that they had already reached out to discuss various issues and highlighted his ability to use the veto power if necessary.
The president also downplayed the possibility of impeachment proceedings against himself or his Cabinet members. He suggested that such an action would be damaging to the Democratic Party itself, arguing that the country is more successful now than at any point in its history. Before concluding his comments, he directed attention back to the construction site, telling a reporter to watch the beam go up.
