Trump Says He Wasn’t on Ballot as ‘Blue Tsunami’ Hits Washington
During the midterm campaign, the US President had urged voters to pretend that he was on the ballot
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has sought to absolve himself as Republicans face a Blue Tsunami, with Democrats projected to flip the US House of Representatives and make major gains in the Senate following the midterm polls.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump claimed that he was not on the ballot and that Republicans would have won by a landslide if he had been. During the midterm campaign, the US President had urged voters to pretend that he was on the ballot.
"I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he posted on Truth Social.
US networks projected that Democrats would capture enough House seats to regain control of the chamber early next year. This would effectively halt Trump's legislative agenda and could usher in a series of investigations into his administration and business ventures during his final two years in the White House.
The flipping of the House could also pave the way for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to become the first African American Speaker of the House.
According to CNN, Democrats are projected to win control of the lower chamber, marking a significant shift in Washington's balance of power and setting the stage for expanded Democratic oversight of the Trump administration.
NBC News has also projected a Democratic victory in the House, estimating that the party could secure a majority of at least 244 seats.
The projected victory puts Jeffries, a 56-year-old Democrat from New York who has been elected to his eighth congressional term, on course to make history. However, he will first need to secure support in a House floor vote when the new Congress convenes on January 3.
According to CNN, Jeffries is expected to lead a resurgent Democratic Party as it prepares to challenge the Trump administration and exercise greater oversight over the executive branch.
Celebrating the Democratic success, Jeffries posted on X: "Victory for America!...MAGA extremists are on the run from sea to shining sea."
Another result highlighting the impact of Trump's policies on Republican candidates came from South Carolina, where Annie Andrews defeated Darlene Graham, the sister of Trump's longtime ally, the late Lindsey Graham.
"South Carolina, you have shown the nation — in an era of partisan divides, of vitriol and name-calling, in a politics dominated by billionaires, special interests, and insiders in Washington — that we will not bow down. We will not back down. And we will chart our own course," Andrews said after her victory.
Democratic control of the House will give the party subpoena and investigative powers, which are likely to shape Trump's final two years in office.