Donald Trump has vowed to remain as US President despite heavy losses for his Republican Party in the elections, which handed Democrats control of both houses of Congress. The President insisted he was still in charge after voters delivered a significant defeat to his party.
White House message and Iran war admission
The White House reinforced the message with a picture of Trump declaring: “PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT.”
Trump appeared to acknowledge that the Iran war contributed to the election result, saying: “I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit. At the same time, if I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again.”
Allies distance themselves from losses
Vice-President JD Vance blamed the election disaster on Trump’s Iran conflict, stating: “The reason we lost is the war.” His comments sparked speculation that he is preparing for his own presidential bid in 2028.
Trump refused to accept blame, insisting: “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
Reaction from supporters and critics
Right-wing podcaster Matt Walsh called the results “a political catastrophe of historic proportions”, while conspiracy theorist Alex Jones claimed Trump is secretly working for the Democrats, saying: “He’s the ultimate Democrat sleeper cell and he works for them. I’m 100 percent at war with Trump.”
Democrats are preparing to investigate Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the Trump family’s business deals. Robert Garcia, set to lead investigations, issued a two-word warning: “Lawyer up.”
Potential legal and political challenges
Elon Musk could face scrutiny over his DOGE cuts and whether his Tesla and SpaceX empire benefited from his White House links. Democratic senator Edward Markey joked: “They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing.”
Trump could face a third impeachment attempt, though removing him would require a large Senate majority. The 80-year-old can still issue orders and block laws, but Democrats can now hinder much of his agenda. Some observers have raised fears that a cornered Trump could lash out over Iran, but Dr Tim Galsworthy, a lecturer in history at Lincoln Bishop University, believes political insiders would move to neutralise the threat before he can strike.
