Trump Deflects Responsibility After Republican Election Losses
Following a series of high-profile Republican losses on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump quickly shifted blame, offering alternative explanations for the outcomes rather than accepting responsibility.
Minutes after Democrat Zohran Mamdani was declared the winner of the New York City mayoral race—a contest in which Trump-backed former governor Andrew Cuomo had competed—Trump posted on Truth Social, suggesting that the GOP’s defeats were due to two primary factors: “‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN,’ according to Pollsters.”
Democrats also claimed victories in New Jersey and Virginia, with Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger emerging victorious. Spanberger made history as Virginia’s first female governor.
Trump’s assertion that the government shutdown influenced the results may have some grounding. Virginia, for example, has a substantial population of federal workers affected by the shutdown and recent federal layoffs—factors that could have bolstered Spanberger’s campaign. In New Jersey, despite Trump endorsing Republican Jack Ciattarelli and actively campaigning for him, voters still favored Sherrill and other Democratic candidates.
Even in his home city of New York, Trump remains unpopular in the Democratic stronghold. While his warnings about potential chaos under Mamdani may have slightly narrowed the race, his endorsement of Cuomo came too late to alter the outcome.
Exit polls conducted by NBC News suggested that dissatisfaction with Trump’s performance as president played a significant role in these elections. Across New Jersey, Virginia, New York, and California, a majority of respondents disapproved of his job performance—55% in New Jersey, 56% in Virginia, 69% in New York, and 63% in California. Voters cited economic concerns and financial issues as their top priorities.
In follow-up posts, Trump urged Republicans to “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER” and advocated for voter reforms, including voter ID laws, restrictions on mail-in ballots, and measures to prevent Supreme Court “packing.”
Critics and Democrats were quick to respond. Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, wrote, “Raging narcissist claims that an election that rejected everything he stands for wasn’t about him. Good try, Donald. Loser.” Liberal commentator Van Jones told CNN that the Democratic victories reflected widespread voter frustration with the status quo, highlighting that independents, Latinos, and Black men had shifted away from the Republican Party and returned to Democratic candidates.
California Congressman Ted Lieu added, “Trump will never be on the ballot again. He can reopen the Republican shutdown by ending the party’s attacks on healthcare and children in need.”