President Donald Trump’s name may not have been on the ballot Tuesday, but he suffered a resounding defeat anyway as voters rejected Republican candidates and registered their strong disapproval of the way the president is doing his job.
From gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, to the mayoral race in Trump’s hometown, to a redistricting measure in California, Americans opposed Trump’s endorsed candidates and expressed deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the country while signaling their dismay with the cost of living and their personal financial situations.
In that sense, Tuesday’s results — a Democratic rout — served as a warning sign for the president and Republicans headed into the 2026 midterms when the party out of power historically makes significant gains.
As the election results became clear, however, the president took to social media to say the first election during his second term had nothing to do with him. "'TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” Trump posted.
Some inside the White House, however, viewed the results differently.
This is a preview of Laura Barrón-López and Jake Traylor's latest article. Read the full article here.
