Trump Acknowledges Republican Election Loss, Blames Shutdown

Washington, November 5, 2025 – Addressing a group of Republican senators, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he did not anticipate the adverse results his party suffered in Tuesday's elections in key states, and attributed some of the responsibility to the prolonged government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. "It was an interesting night, and we learned a lot," Trump said during a breakfast in Washington in his first public appearance since the election. "We will not approve any laws," he warned the legislators. The president also harshly criticized the "radical Democrats" in the Senate, accusing them of showing "no interest whatsoever" in ending the government shutdown. The president admitted that the results "were not good for Republicans or for anyone" and maintained that the shutdown was a decisive factor that negatively impacted public perception. The president also considered that his absence on the election ballots may have influenced the results. These issues were central to the Democratic campaigns, which held the White House responsible for the loss of purchasing power and the lack of political agreements that kept Congress paralyzed. During his speech, Trump insisted that the Republican Party must "do what it has to do" and pushed to eliminate legislative obstructionism in the Senate, which he blamed for hindering progress on the government's economic agenda. Aware of the political blow, Trump seeks to regain the initiative with a message of self-criticism and unity, but divisions within his party and the growing weight of the opposition anticipate a year of tensions and realignments in the U.S. political landscape. "I don't know if that's true, but I felt honored that they said it," he commented. The elections represented a strong boost for Democrats, who achieved key victories in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, in addition to good results in California and Pennsylvania. According to his view, the opposition "acts like kamikaze pilots" and seeks to deliberately damage the country's governability. Tuesday's election reconfigured the American political landscape and left the Democratic Party facing a dilemma for the 2026 midterm elections: opt for progressive leadership represented by Mamdani, or consolidate a centrist line like that of Spanberger and Sherrill. Meanwhile, Republicans face their own internal challenge: redefine their strategy and leadership under an administration that is showing signs of wear. The rise of Democrat Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York and the first Muslim to hold the office, symbolized the consolidation of urban progressivism, while the victories of Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey reinforced the party's moderate wing. Analysts agree that the Republican defeat reflects growing discontent with Trump's management, mainly due to the economic situation and the rising cost of living. "If they don't get rid of it, we'll be in a bad situation," he said. "They say that the fact that I was not on the ballot was the most important factor."