WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 4, 2026 — President Donald Trump said he was "a little bit surprised" by Tuesday's midterm results, praised Democrats for running a strong campaign and promised to veto bills he doesn't like, as Republicans began sorting out why they lost control of both the House and Senate.

Democrats had 54 Senate seats and 229 House seats as of 12:29 p.m. Wednesday, past the 51 and 218 needed for majorities, according to AP's projected Senate and House tallies. Two Senate races and 67 House races hadn't been called. The new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3.

What Trump said on election night

Trump spoke with Fox News anchor Bret Baier during the network's election coverage Tuesday night. "I'm a little bit surprised. I thought they'd do better," he said, Fox News reported. "We had tremendous rallies. We had about 30 of them."

He also gave Democrats credit. "I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do. I think they did a good job. They fought hard," Trump said. "I don't like to consider it a defeat. If you're on the ballot, it's different than if you're not on the ballot."

He pointed to gas prices tied to the conflict with Iran. "I don't think it's the war, Bret, I think it's the gasoline price," he said, according to Fox. "People agree with what I'm doing on Iran, but they really probably weren't willing to do the short-term consequence of paying more for gasoline."

Vetoes, and an offer to work together

Trump said he'd use his veto against Democratic bills. "It's the power of veto — it's one of the stronger powers that a President has. They'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them," he said in a clip posted by the White House's Rapid Response 47 account. "And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll go out and they'll say, 'How do we get this stuff done?' And we'll work together," he added, Fox reported.

Late Tuesday, he posted a picture of a red hat with the word "VETO" on Truth Social, ABC News and Fox reported.

He also said he's already talked with some Democrats. "You know, I have a lot of friends that are Democrats, believe it or not. I've already spoken to some of them," Trump told Fox.

Trump told The New York Times he was "absolutely willing to accept" the results and would "look forward to working with" Democrats, the BBC reported. "We'll probably work something out," he said. In a phone interview with Politico, he said he'd consider "doing whatever I think is appropriate and good for the country" when asked about a possible immigration deal, ABC reported.

Blame for candidates, and for Abbott

Trump also put some blame on Republican candidates. "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" he wrote on Truth Social after Democrats were projected to win the House, ABC reported.

"But they didn't agree, and they didn't like the candidates in most cases, just one of those things," he told Politico, according to ABC.

He criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who lost to Democrat Gina Hinojosa. "If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn't become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn't have lost," Trump wrote on Truth Social, using the term for "Republican in Name Only," ABC and the BBC reported. AP called the Texas race for Hinojosa at 11:17 p.m. Tuesday; she had 52.8% to Abbott's 45.7% with 98% of votes counted, AP's results show.

Vance: "The reason we lost is the war"

Vice President JD Vance took a different view in a long post on X at 10:38 a.m. Wednesday.

Vance wrote that Republican voters turned out. "In Florida, for example, the electorate was 9 points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024," he wrote. "But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026."

He said a pollster asked voters who left the party what would bring them back, and the top four answers were to end the war, focus on cost of living and inflation, "Put America First," and change the U.S. relationship with Israel.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote. "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest."

He also warned against "amnesty," writing that he's open to changing immigration enforcement, such as focusing more on businesses that hire illegal labor, "But anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you."

NBC News, which reported on the post, noted that Vance listed cost of living, inflation and the Israel relationship alongside the war.

What Democrats say

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer marked the results on X Wednesday morning: "54 seats and counting." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was speaking Wednesday about the Democratic win, CNBC reported.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that Democrats "did not earn a mandate" and called the results "a rejection of Republicans in Washington," WWSB reported. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried credited the party's door-knocking and calls for "a nearly 20-point swing toward Democrats statewide compared to the 2022 midterms," the Florida Phoenix reported.

What happens next

With Democrats in charge of both chambers starting Jan. 3, they can block Trump's legislative agenda and nominees and open investigations into his administration during his last two years in office, Fox News reported. Trump can veto bills, and overriding a veto takes a two-thirds vote in both chambers under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, more than either party has.

Until then, Republicans keep their majorities in the current Congress.

Sources: Fox News; ABC News; BBC; Rapid Response 47 (White House) on X; JD Vance on X; NBC News; AP election results; CNBC; WWSB; Florida Phoenix; U.S. Constitution.

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