Oklahoma Gov. Stitt says Trump's lack of civility helped sink GOP in midterms

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, says President Donald Trump's lack of civility helped drive his party's losses in Tuesday's midterm election. Politico headlined its interview with him by saying his party took a beating even worse than a severe one ¹. Stitt leaves office soon ¹.

Stitt spoke to Politico on Friday morning, three days after what the outlet called devastating Republican losses across the country. It was a few hours before Trump made Stephen Miller his chief of staff ¹.

People are just kind of tired,

Stitt also praised the president. He said Trump's policies are "amazing" and that he does "a really good job on a lot of fronts" ¹. His criticism was about tone, not policy.

A history of friction with Trump

Stitt has clashed with Trump before. In February, Trump attacked him in a dispute over the National Governors Association's annual gathering at the White House. Trump called him a "RINO" and a "wiseguy" ¹. RINO is short for Republican in Name Only.

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Stitt was chair of the governors' group until this summer. The two men later appeared to patch things up after a White House sit-down in March ¹.

In a February NPR interview, Stitt objected to the White House inviting only Republican governors to a meeting. He said then, "I represent all 50 governors" ². He also said, "We have to get back to integrity" ². NPR reported that he has avoided personal attacks and is not part of the never-Trump movement ².

Why it matters

That matters because Stitt is not a Democrat or a longtime Trump critic. He is a Republican governor who says voters are ready for a change ¹. His remarks fit a wider pattern of Republicans arguing over who is to blame for Tuesday's results.

The brief does not show what, if anything, Trump has said in response. Politico's excerpt also did not say whether Stitt gave a specific reason beyond voter fatigue and the president's tone ¹. Nothing in the sources says what Stitt plans to do next.

The Record

1. Feb 26, 2026Stitt, then chair of the National Governors Association, told NPR "I represent all 50 governors" after a dispute over White House invitations ².
2. Mar 1, 2026Politico reports Stitt and Trump appeared to patch things up after a White House sit-down in March ¹.
3. Nov 6, 2026Stitt tells Politico that people are "tired" and want change, three days after Republican losses ¹.

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<h2>Oklahoma Gov. Stitt says Trump&#39;s lack of civility helped sink GOP in midterms</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/oklahoma-gov-stitt-says-trump-s-lack-of-civility-helped-sink-gop-in-midterms">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, November 7, 2026.</em></p> <p>Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, says President Donald Trump&#39;s lack of civility helped drive his party&#39;s losses in Tuesday&#39;s midterm election. Politico headlined its interview with him by saying his party took a beating even worse than a severe one . Stitt leaves office soon .</p> <p>Stitt spoke to Politico on Friday morning, three days after what the outlet called devastating Republican losses across the country. It was a few hours before Trump made Stephen Miller his chief of staff .</p> <blockquote><p>People are just kind of tired,</p><p>&mdash; Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma, Republican</p></blockquote> <p>Stitt also praised the president. He said Trump&#39;s policies are &quot;amazing&quot; and that he does &quot;a really good job on a lot of fronts&quot; . His criticism was about tone, not policy.</p> <h2>A history of friction with Trump</h2> <p>Stitt has clashed with Trump before. In February, Trump attacked him in a dispute over the National Governors Association&#39;s annual gathering at the White House. Trump called him a &quot;RINO&quot; and a &quot;wiseguy&quot; . RINO is short for Republican in Name Only.</p> <p>Stitt was chair of the governors&#39; group until this summer. The two men later appeared to patch things up after a White House sit-down in March .</p> <p>In a February NPR interview, Stitt objected to the White House inviting only Republican governors to a meeting. He said then, &quot;I represent all 50 governors&quot; . He also said, &quot;We have to get back to integrity&quot; . NPR reported that he has avoided personal attacks and is not part of the never-Trump movement .</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>That matters because Stitt is not a Democrat or a longtime Trump critic. He is a Republican governor who says voters are ready for a change . His remarks fit a wider pattern of Republicans arguing over who is to blame for Tuesday&#39;s results.</p> <p>The brief does not show what, if anything, Trump has said in response. Politico&#39;s excerpt also did not say whether Stitt gave a specific reason beyond voter fatigue and the president&#39;s tone . Nothing in the sources says what Stitt plans to do next.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/oklahoma-gov-stitt-says-trump-s-lack-of-civility-helped-sink-gop-in-midterms">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/oklahoma-gov-stitt-says-trump-s-lack-of-civility-helped-sink-gop-in-midterms.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Politico, “Why this GOP governor thinks his party got 'worse than a butt whipping' on Tuesday” (2026-11-07). politico.com/news/2026/11/07/kevin-stitt-republicans-butt-wh
2. NPR (via KJZZ), “'Get back to integrity': Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt on Republicans after Trump” (2026-02-26). kjzz.org/npr-top-stories/2026-02-26/get-back-to-integrity-ok

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