Trump accepts midterm results but denies personal defeat

Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he accepts the results of the US midterm elections, in which Democrats made sweeping gains across the country. He told the New York Times that he is fully willing to accept the outcome and looks forward to collaborating with Democrats to find common ground.

The opposition has already won the House of Representatives and is well positioned to take control of the Senate, meaning Democrats could control all of Congress. Trump therefore does not intend to challenge the election verdict.

“I was not on the ballot and if I had been, we would have LARGELY won.”

This stance is notable because Trump still refuses to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 presidential election and had raised fraud allegations even before the midterms. However, he is not willing to concede a personal defeat on Tuesday, despite Americans massively condemning his record, particularly the war in Iran and the rising cost of living caused by that conflict.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was not on the ballot and that if he had been, they would have won by a large margin. The 80-year-old billionaire had previously urged his supporters during the campaign to mobilize as if he were running himself.

A US official told AFP of a defiant atmosphere at the White House, where the Republican president followed the results with ministers and advisers. The official warned that whatever happens, Trump will be even more determined to stop the radical left.

The source also said Trump was not on the ballots and that it is proven Trump voters turn out when he is on the ballot.