Trump claims midterms lost without him: ‘If I were on the ballot, we would have won’

Trump claims midterms lost without him: ‘If I were on the ballot, we would have won’

by

Trump Delivers First Remarks Since Midterm Rout From White House Ballroom Construction Site

President Donald Trump held his first public news conference since Democrats captured both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and chose the construction site of his planned White House ballroom as the stage, The Journal reported.

For much of the opening remarks, Trump made no mention of the election that dealt his party its sweeping losses, instead describing the 600-million-dollar project as “not only one of the biggest, but… the most beautiful ballroom I think anywhere in the world.” He compared it favorably to Beijing’s Great Hall, calling it “larger,” and detailed a mix of “marble and bronze” before signing his name on one of the steel beams.

at the White House

The Ballroom Takes Center Stage

The Guardian described the architectural specifics Trump offered: limestone columns, 50-foot ceilings, capacity for more than 300 guests, heavy-set beams, a “drone-proof” roof, thick marble floors, and a military-grade bunker. The paper noted the parallel to Trump’s final campaign address at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where he had likewise dwelt on pipes, grass, and granite, and observed that for months he has pulled public focus toward construction projects across the capital — the ballroom, the refurbished Reflecting Pool, a planned triumphal arch, cleaned statues, and a new helipad.

Only when reporters pressed him did Trump turn to the election. “If I were on the ballot, we would have won,” he said twice, pointing to the thousands packed at Republican rallies. “There was such love at those rallies, it was incredible,” he added, before conceding: “We weren’t able to transfer the love to candidates.” Fox News quoted the same phrasing in its own report of the appearance.

Iran War: The Factor Trump Says Cost Republicans Congress

The president acknowledged the war with Iran as the key driver of his party’s losses, aligning himself with Vice President JD Vance, who had urged Republicans to be “honest” about the unpopular conflict. Asked whether he agreed with Vance’s assessment that the war was “the reason we lost,” Trump replied: “I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term.”

“But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I’d have to do it again. Because long-term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

Fox News reported Trump calling the tradeoff worth it: “You have no choice… You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon or everything that you see here someday might not exist.” RTE.ie noted Trump’s slightly different framing, that “a part of it was Iran, but at the same time people understood the importance of what I’ve done with Iran.” The Guardian added that Americans have grown frustrated with Trump’s economic policies and the war, which voters blamed for rising costs of living — yet Trump insisted the results were not a rejection of him personally.

Vance’s own post-mortem, which Fox News detailed, listed four steps Republicans should take to win back voters: end the war, focus on cost of living and inflation, put America First, and change the relationship with Israel.

Accepting the Results, and What Comes Next

RTE.ie reported that Trump said he would accept the midterm results, telling The New York Times, “I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” and adding that he would work with Democrats. On Truth Social, he wrote: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” Yet the same outlet noted a harder edge: Trump posted a photo of his red MAGA hat with the single word “VETO,” and told reporters, “I’ll get along probably with the Democrats, unless they want to be destructive, but I have the power of the veto.”

Trump claims midterms lost without him: ‘If I were on the ballot, we would have won’
Photo: RTE.ie

The White House was described by RTE.ie as having a “bunker mentality” on election night, with Trump and his cabinet watching results in the East Room. A White House official told the outlet that “candidate quality matters, and President Trump did a better job promoting many of the candidates on the ballot than the candidates did themselves.” Trump later singled out Texas Governor Greg Abbott, unseated by Democrat Gina Hinojosa, claiming that if Abbott hadn’t become a “RINO,” “he wouldn’t have lost.” The Guardian documented the breadth of the defeat: Democrats won Senate seats in historically red states including South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, and North Carolina, and held districts gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

Impeachment and Hegseth

Asked about prospective impeachment proceedings the day after the losses, Trump said: “I think it would destroy the Democratic Party if they did that,” insisting there was “no reason” for him to be impeached. He also ruled out dismissing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a staunch supporter of military action against Iran. “No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said.

Before the first results had even come in, RTE.ie noted, Trump had lashed out at Fox News on social media, claiming its ratings were “way down… because they are AGAINST me!”

Standing among the workers in a hard hat, Trump closed the event by telling a reporter, “Our country is more successful now than in any time in its history,” before directing, “Watch the beam go up.”

More on White House

LIVE: Trump Speaks At Site Of White House Ballroom Construction After GOP Midterm Wipeout
Trump gives tour of White House ballroom site, takes questions on midterms
President Trump speaks at WH ballroom construction site after midterm loss

Worth a look

Read next