In an unexpected turn of events, former President Donald Trump expressed disappointment at the midterm results on Wednesday (November 9) night.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump downplayed the possibility Republicans could walk away without a Congressional majority while prematurely announcing a GOP Congressional victory.
Trump began by admitting that the “election was somewhat disappointing” he highlighted that he saw it as “a very big victory,” touting “219 WINS and 16 Losses” in Tuesday’s elections.
But Trump’s “very big victory” stats don’t paint the full picture. When Trump published the post on Truth Social, Republicans were still shy of the 14 seats needed to claim the 218-seat majority minimum.
The number of seats Republicans were expected to claim by Wednesday night was also far fewer than what pundits predicted for the GOP.
Many Republican candidates handily lost races believed to be competitive.
In New Hampshire and Michigan, where Republican candidates bought into Trump’s 2020 stolen election rhetoric, GOP candidates experienced a shellacking in what was otherwise supposed to be competitive races.
Many of Trump-endorsed far-right candidates, who were in races deemed winnable, lost.
In Pennsylvania, the former President’s presence seemed to hurt Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, who lost by four points to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.
Fetterman’s win means a previously Republican seat in the Senate will be occupied by a Democrat.
In an opinion piece for the Washington Examiner, Salena Zito noted that Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday and the former President’s hinting that he’ll be announcing a 2024 bid soon could “have done more damage than anyone knew.”
