President Donald Trump said Republican candidates lost because they failed to energize his MAGA supporters, and he also placed responsibility on Fox News in separate posts and comments on Tuesday. In a Truth Social message that evening, he faulted the network for the party’s midterm setbacks. He later expanded on the candidates themselves during a Fox News interview.
Democrats have enjoyed a dominant midterms and took control of both chambers of Congress, even after redistricting plans Trump had supported in several states that lean Republican. Results in Texas stood out. Democratic State Representative James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had been involved in scandals.
Democratic State Representative Gina Hinojosa unseated Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Trump addressed Abbott’s loss in a Truth Social post, writing that if Abbott “hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost. He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!”
Trump cites lack of MAGA appeal and large rally crowds that did not translate to votes
Trump directed further criticism at Fox News in another Truth Social post the same evening. He wrote, “Why does FoxNews have Bill de Blasio, the Worst Mayor in the History of New York City, on air, ranting and raving like a Lunatic? He left the City in disgrace, and the damage he caused was incalculable – It has never been the same, and now he’s telling us how to run America. FoxNews bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Dumocrat opposition, and worse. GOD BLESS AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
In the Fox News interview with host Bret Baier that night, Trump was asked about an earlier Truth Social post in which he stated, “I wasn’t on the ballot. If I was, this would have been a landslide.” Baier noted that Trump had appeared at a midterm convention in Dallas and at multiple rallies, where he told audiences to “Pretend I’m on the ballot.” Baier said those stops had drawn enthusiastic MAGA crowds.
According to Mediaite, Trump confirmed the crowds were large. When Baier observed that the results did not appear to reflect the same level of turnout among the broader Republican base, Trump responded that many of those voters “didn’t like the candidates.” He added that some of the people he endorsed “fought me and they didn’t like me.” Trump had earlier backed Paxton in his Texas runoff victory over Cornyn.
Trump described the MAGA base as “incredible” and “the most loyal people, greatest people that built America.” He said he had backed certain candidates he did not personally get along with for the sake of the party. According to Trump, large numbers of supporters contacted him to say, “Sir, they weren’t for you,” and listed specific problems. In other cases, he said, the candidates simply failed to motivate people to vote.
He said, “I wasn’t on the ballot. If I was on the ballot they would have got down. Look, they got out for the rallies. You never saw rallies that big. I mean, outside of the rallies I have, when I have the general election, which is, you know, a step above, you know, maybe a few steps above. Outside of that, I mean, these were the biggest rallies ever. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.”
He added: “I left every one of those states and the places were packed with thousands, and in some cases, tens of thousands of people, outside trying to get in and having to watch a Jumbotron, as they call it – big massive TV screens that we would hook on to the sides of buildings so they could see. So, you know, they just weren’t inspired, and they didn’t want – if I’m not on the ballot, they wouldn’t go.”
Published: Nov 4, 2026 06:30 am