US President Donald Trump has criticised Republicans following the Democrats' success in the US midterm elections, while acknowledging his political opponents had done "a good job" in securing control of both chambers of Congress.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump turned his ire towards Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who lost the gubernatorial race to Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Trump claimed Abbott would not have suffered defeat if he "hadn't become a RINO in the last six months", using the term "Republican in Name Only" to question his loyalty to the party.
Landslide claim and Democratic gains
The 80-year-old world leader said that if he had been on the ballot, the Republicans "would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!". His retort came after the midterms saw the Democrats take control of the House and the Senate in a humiliating blow to Trump.
Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats in ruby-red states and battlegrounds alike: Kansas, which hasn't elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina. They held on to battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan. In the House, Democrats flipped more than two dozen districts, some that voted for Trump by double digits in 2024.
Trump's veto threat and reaction
Trump, who this week said the US will stop providing around $4billion (£2.98billion) a year in aid to Israel, has since said he will use his 'tremendous powers' to challenge the Democrats.
Speaking in an interview in the wake of the midterm elections, the politician said: "I have the ultimate power — it's called 'veto'". Speaking to Fox News, he added: "Well, I say this, congratulations to the Democrats, they did a good job. They've been looking for this one for 11-years and they've finally got it. But I don't view it as a hit on me, we've had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency."
Young voters turn out for Democrats
Young voters have strongly turned out for the Democratic Party, and their support could prove pivotal, a campaign group has said. Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, added: "Preliminary results from tonight make it clear that this is a blue tsunami."
