President Donald Trump pledged to veto what he called "insane" legislation from Democrats after the party won control of both the House and the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections. Speaking to Fox News Channel during Election Night coverage, Trump also acknowledged that rising gasoline prices tied to the conflict with Iran likely contributed to Republican losses.
"They'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them," Trump said. "And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll go out and they'll say, 'How do we get this stuff done?' And we'll work together." He said he was surprised by the Republican performance but expressed confidence he could work with Democrats despite their electoral gains.
Democrats flipped at least seven Republican-held Senate seats and more than two dozen House districts. The results leave the party positioned to block the president's legislative agenda, reject his nominees and launch investigations into his administration during his final two years in office. Trump described veto authority as a negotiating tool and said several Democratic lawmakers had already reached out to him. "You know, I have a lot of friends that are Democrats, believe it or not. I've already spoken to some of them," he said.
Trump addressed the Republican election-night performance by pointing to the economy rather than the military campaign itself. "I don't think it's the war, Bret, I think it's the gasoline price," he told Fox News anchor Bret Baier. "People agree with what I'm doing on Iran, but they really probably weren't willing to do the short-term consequence of paying more for gasoline."
The president defended his administration's actions against Iran, arguing that the economic costs were temporary and necessary for long-term national security. "I think a part of it was Iran. But at the same time, people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran," Trump said. "You can't let the number one state sponsor of terror have a nuclear weapon."
Trump also blamed some Republican candidates for failing to energize his supporters. He said enthusiasm at his rallies, which he put at about 30, did not necessarily translate into votes for the candidates he endorsed. He said some of those candidates had previously opposed him, and that voters did not like that they had fought him. "I wasn't on the ballot. If I was on the ballot, they would have gotten out," he said.
Despite the losses, Trump praised the Democrats' campaign. "I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do. They fought hard," he said. "I don't like to consider it a defeat. If you're on the ballot, it's different than if you're not on the ballot."
Business commentary following the vote framed the results as a broader verdict on the economy and on the political climate in Washington. Fortune noted that donors poured a record $12 billion into midterm campaigns, including $446 million from Elon Musk, and that Democrat James Talarico won the Texas Senate seat where Musk had spent heavily against him. The same analysis said policymakers will need to focus on cost-of-living pressures, including groceries, gasoline, housing and health care, and that the debate over artificial intelligence and data centers is likely to intensify.