Trump's full reaction to midterms: 'Too bad' voters were angry about fuel prices, shock that his rallies failed, and the Truth post that sums up his plan for next two years

The Democrats have seized control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in a devastating double blow to Donald Trump, in what could mark the beginning of the end for the MAGA era.The US President swung through a series of emotions as the results came in, shifting from shock at the Republican losses to railing against Iran and vowing to veto Democratic legislation, before eventually congratulating the Dems on their victory. Speaking to Fox News in a late-night interview as the results came in, Trump admitted he was surprised by the scale of the Democrats' success.'I'm a little bit surprised, I thought they'd (the Republicans) do better,' he said, before boasting about the huge crowds he had drawn during his campaign rallies.'Look, they got out for the rallies. You never saw rallies that big. I mean, outside of the rallies I have, when I have, you know, the general election, which is you know, a step above. In all fairness, like maybe a few steps above. Outside of that, I mean, these were the biggest rallies ever,' he said.'Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. I left every one of those states, and the places were packed with thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands of people outside, trying to get in and having to watch a jumbotron, as they call it.'The President was quick to shift the blame away from his own declining approval ratings. Trump admitted he was surprised by the scale of the Democrats' success Supporters of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson cheer Trump shared a picture of a red MAGA cap to his Truth Social, with the words 'VETO' on it (From @realDonaldTrump on Truth Social) 'They didn't like the candidates.... this MAGA base is incredible, the most loyal people, the greatest people, the people that built America. I was trying to get people in that were people that frankly I didn't get along with. But for purposes of the party I went along with it, and the base would tell me... sir they weren't for you.'He went on to suggest that some Republican candidates had simply failed to motivate their supporters to turn out.'In other cases they just didn’t inspire the people to get out and vote,' Trump said. 'And I wasn’t on the ballot. If I was on the ballot, they would have gotten out.'Despite the scale of the Republican losses, Trump did offer some praise for his political opponents.'I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do.... They fought hard. They've been fighting me for a long time.'He also insisted he did not view the results as a personal defeat, repeatedly pointing out that his own name had not appeared on the ballot.'I don't like to consider it a defeat for me. I wasn't on the ballot,’ he said.When asked whether he would accept the election results, Trump replied: 'Yeah sure, I'll accept them, why wouldn't I.'Trump, however, has a history of questioning, conditioning, or refusing to accept US election results.The President also said he was willing to work with the Democrats.However, he made clear there were several issues on which he would refuse to compromise, including an 'open border', 'men playing in women's sports' and 'transgender [mutilation]of children'.He said there were 'many things' he could work with Democrats on, including immigration.Trump warned that Democrats would send legislation he considered 'insane' to his desk, promising to veto it.'They'll send over things that are insane, and I'll veto them,' he said. 'And after a couple of months of vetoes, they'll call and they'll say, "How do we get this stuff done?" And we'll work together.'The President also acknowledged that the cost of living, particularly rising fuel prices, had played a role in the Republican losses.He blamed the surge in gas prices on the conflict with Iran, suggesting voters were unwilling to accept the immediate financial consequences of his foreign policy.'I understand that, [but] I don't agree with it... it's a short term problem for long term gain…The gasoline was caused by Iran.' Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, left, greets supporters Attendees wait for Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers to arrive to speakTrump also took aim at Fox News itself over his falling popularity.'I read in Fox that I'm not popular,' he complained, before suggesting the network needed to find new pollsters.When presenter Bret Baier pointed out that the night's results were broadly in line with the network's polling, Trump doubled down, insisting its surveys about him had been wrong for 12 years.Earlier, in a sign of election night frustration, he had raged at Fox News when the first polls closed, writing on Truth Social that their exit poll questions were 'BULLS***'.The Fox News poll showed 87 per cent of voters were concerned about gas prices and 62 per cent blamed Trump.He then texted Fox News host Greg Gutfeld live on air, telling him: 'I inherited the worst prices and inflation in history from Sleepy Joe. Prices are heading down FAST!' During his call to Fox hours later, when asked what message he wanted to send to the American people, Trump offered a brief acknowledgement of the Democrats' victory again, saying: 'Congratulations to the Democrats they did a good job.'But he was still reluctant to accept that the results reflected dissatisfaction with his presidency.'I don't view it as a hit on me... There was a mood in the air, I guess, and if you look, I shouldn't feel guilty.'He then turned his attention to Europe, contrasting the difficulties facing the continent with what he described as America's success.'You look at Europe - it's dying, you look at what's going on in France and what's going on in Italy and all the other countries, they're going through a terrible time, they may not even survive frankly, and we're thriving.'In his online reactions, Trump shared a picture of a red MAGA cap to his Truth Social, with the words 'VETO' on it, appearing to suggest again that he is prepared to veto Democratic legislation.Another late night post from the president read: 'I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.'In what amounted to a political earthquake, the midterm elections saw a series of traditionally Republican strongholds turn blue.In Texas, Democratic newcomer James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton, while South Carolina elected a Democrat senator for the first time since 1998.Most remarkably of all, Kansas sent a Democrat to the US Senate, which it had not done since 1932 during the Great Depression.There were further stunning Democrat Senate victories in Iowa and Ohio, states Trump won by more than ten points in the presidential election in 2024.In one of the most-watched races, Left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory over Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, making him the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Democratic US Senate candidate and Texas State Representative James Talarico reacts after his victory California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton shows off the inside of his jacketJubilant Democrats described the results as a 'blue tsunami' or a 'Bluenami'.Although he was not on the ballot, the midterms were effectively a nationwide referendum on Trump. Republicans' crushing losses were a dagger to the heart for the White House where a vicious blame game immediately began.Voters appeared to have passed a damning judgment on Trump's inability to bring down the cost of living for ordinary Americans, according to exit polls.The results, reflecting a huge shift in Trump's once impressive MAGA base, will also cast a cloud over any ambitions Vice President JD Vance has for a 2028 run.Losing both chambers of Congress will mean Trump entering lame duck territory in his final two years in office.He will face Democrat-led corruption investigations into himself, his allies and family, and could even be impeached for a third time.Democratic congressman Robert Garcia will lead some of the probes as the chair of the House Oversight Committee.He issued a blunt two-word statement: 'Lawyer up.'It also means Trump will now be blocked from getting much of his agenda through Congress.The President will have to rely on issuing executive orders in areas where he retains authority, including tariffs, immigration, foreign policy and military actions, and the use of his veto power to stop Democrats getting their policies made law.