Trump congratulates Democrats on midterm wins, says he has 'total veto power'

President Trump congratulated Democrats on their midterm election victories in a phone call with CBS News, a striking turn from a campaign in which he made himself the face of the Republican effort ¹³.

Democrats won control of the Senate on Tuesday night, The Hill reported, taking key Senate seats including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas ². Axios reported that Republicans lost deep-red Senate seats in South Carolina, Kansas and Texas, according to AP projections, and that Democrats were within reach of control of the House ³.

On tapeFace the Nation · Nov 4

▶1:36

In the call, Trump said he plans to work with the opposing party. He also said he has 'total veto power' and that if Democrats don't cooperate, 'I'd just veto everything and they're not gonna want that' ¹.

The president insisted that Republicans lost so many races because he wasn't on the ballot. 'If I was, we would have won,' he said ¹. He also said that in some cases voters 'didn't like the candidates,' and that some of those candidates 'were not my friend and the base knows that better than anybody' ¹.

From Channel GOPTrump on pardoning officials: "I'd be allowed toDonald Trump · 198 plays · captioned, with the source named

Asked if he is upset, Trump said he 'tried hard' and 'left it on the field.' He said the people 'didn't come out as they should have' and that 'if I were on the ballot they would have been out' ¹.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans lost because he wasn't on the ballot, adding, 'And if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!' ². He also posted that he would become a 'Political Pundit, both good and bad, on the reasons these Candidates won and lost!' ². Axios reported he posted an image of a red hat with the word 'VETO' ³.

On tapeLiveNOW from FOX · Nov 4

▶4:31

Trump told Fox News that voters just 'didn't like the candidates,' and said he felt bad for the Republicans who lost because losing is a 'tough thing' ².

The results drew a blunt response from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who shared a succinct statement after it was clear Democrats were winning ².

What happens next

Democratic control of even one chamber of Congress will open the door to investigations, subpoenas and even more legislative gridlock, Axios reported ³. Trump's talk of vetoes points to the same standoff: he can block legislation, but Democrats can launch probes.

Separately, the president said the Iran war would be over 'when I say it's over, basically. It'll end when I say it ends' ¹.

That matters because voters named the cost of living and government corruption as their top issues, according to AP exit polls cited by Axios ³. A president promising to work with the opposition while brandishing veto power sets up two years of confrontation over exactly those concerns.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats won control of the Senate, taking key Senate seats including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas, and were within reach of control of the House ²³.
2. Nov 3, 2026Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans lost because he wasn't on the ballot, adding, 'And if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!' ².
3. Nov 4, 2026Trump told CBS News, 'My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country' ¹.

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<h2>Trump congratulates Democrats on midterm wins, says he has &#39;total veto power&#39;</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files White House Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-congratulates-democrats-on-midterm-wins-says-he-has-total-veto-power">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>President Trump congratulated Democrats on their midterm election victories in a phone call with CBS News, a striking turn from a campaign in which he made himself the face of the Republican effort .</p> <p>Democrats won control of the Senate on Tuesday night, The Hill reported, taking key Senate seats including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas . Axios reported that Republicans lost deep-red Senate seats in South Carolina, Kansas and Texas, according to AP projections, and that Democrats were within reach of control of the House .</p> <p>In the call, Trump said he plans to work with the opposing party. He also said he has &#39;total veto power&#39; and that if Democrats don&#39;t cooperate, &#39;I&#39;d just veto everything and they&#39;re not gonna want that&#39; .</p> <p>The president insisted that Republicans lost so many races because he wasn&#39;t on the ballot. &#39;If I was, we would have won,&#39; he said . He also said that in some cases voters &#39;didn&#39;t like the candidates,&#39; and that some of those candidates &#39;were not my friend and the base knows that better than anybody&#39; .</p> <p>Asked if he is upset, Trump said he &#39;tried hard&#39; and &#39;left it on the field.&#39; He said the people &#39;didn&#39;t come out as they should have&#39; and that &#39;if I were on the ballot they would have been out&#39; .</p> <p>Earlier Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans lost because he wasn&#39;t on the ballot, adding, &#39;And if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!&#39; . He also posted that he would become a &#39;Political Pundit, both good and bad, on the reasons these Candidates won and lost!&#39; . Axios reported he posted an image of a red hat with the word &#39;VETO&#39; .</p> <p>Trump told Fox News that voters just &#39;didn&#39;t like the candidates,&#39; and said he felt bad for the Republicans who lost because losing is a &#39;tough thing&#39; .</p> <p>The results drew a blunt response from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who shared a succinct statement after it was clear Democrats were winning .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Democratic control of even one chamber of Congress will open the door to investigations, subpoenas and even more legislative gridlock, Axios reported . Trump&#39;s talk of vetoes points to the same standoff: he can block legislation, but Democrats can launch probes.</p> <p>Separately, the president said the Iran war would be over &#39;when I say it&#39;s over, basically. It&#39;ll end when I say it ends&#39; .</p> <p>That matters because voters named the cost of living and government corruption as their top issues, according to AP exit polls cited by Axios . A president promising to work with the opposition while brandishing veto power sets up two years of confrontation over exactly those concerns.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/trump-congratulates-democrats-on-midterm-wins-says-he-has-total-veto-power">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/trump-congratulates-democrats-on-midterm-wins-says-he-has-total-veto-power.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “Trump congratulates Democrats in election night call with CBS News” (2026-11-04). cbsnews.com/news/trump-congratulates-democrats-election-nigh
2. The Hill, “Trump congratulates Democrats after midterm romp” (2026-11-04). thehill.com/homenews/administration/6196392-trump-congratula
3. Axios, “Election night opens with Trump in battle mode” (2026-11-03). axios.com/2026/11/03/election-day-midterm-trump-democrats-re

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