The White House on Wednesday issued a defiant message following the Republican Party's sweeping defeat in the US midterm elections, declaring that Donald Trump remained President despite Democrats securing control of both chambers of Congress.
In a post on X, the White House shared a photograph of Trump leaning over the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, accompanied by the message, "PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT."
The post concluded with the words, "Thank you for your attention to this matter," a phrase frequently used by Trump in his social media communications.
The message came hours after Democrats secured major victories in Tuesday's congressional elections, overturning Republican control of the House of Representatives and the Senate and creating a divided government for the remaining two years of Trump's presidency.
๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
The Democratic Party made substantial gains across the country, flipping more than two dozen seats in the House and winning several closely contested Senate races, including in traditionally Republican states.
Democrats registered Senate victories in South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Texas and Maine, significantly altering the balance of power in Washington.
In Maine, former logger Troy Jackson defeated Republican Senator Susan Collins, while Adam Hamilton became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Kansas since 1932.
The party also made gains in House races across Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and New Jersey, including constituencies that Trump had carried in the 2024 presidential election.
The results handed Democrats control of Congress and the ability to challenge the administration's legislative priorities, conduct investigations and exercise greater oversight of federal agencies.
However, the midterm elections did not affect Trump's tenure as President, which continues until January 2029.
๐ง๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ
Reacting to the results, Trump acknowledged that Democrats had campaigned effectively and congratulated them on their victories.
Speaking to Fox News, he said the opposition party had worked hard to secure the outcome but rejected suggestions that the results represented a personal defeat.
The President also expressed surprise at the scale of Republican losses, saying he had expected candidates from his party to perform better.
Trump argued that Republicans would have secured a decisive victory had he personally been on the ballot, despite having campaigned extensively for party candidates in the run-up to the elections.
He said the large crowds attending his rallies had led him to believe that his popularity would translate into stronger support for Republican candidates.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ
Trump also acknowledged that the prolonged conflict with Iran had contributed to the Republican Party's electoral losses.
"I think part of it was Iran," he said, while defending his administration's military campaign and maintaining that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained a critical priority.
The conflict, which has continued for months, has disrupted energy markets and contributed to higher fuel prices, intensifying concerns over inflation and household expenses.
Economic dissatisfaction, rising living costs and opposition to the war emerged as major issues during the midterm campaign.
Vice President JD Vance also attributed the Republican defeat partly to the Iran conflict, saying some voters who had previously supported Trump were unwilling to back Republican candidates because of the war and its economic consequences.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Despite the Democratic victory, Trump indicated that he intended to continue pursuing his administration's agenda and would use his constitutional powers to resist legislation he opposed.
The President said he was prepared to cooperate with Democrats on certain issues but warned that he could veto bills passed by the new congressional majority.
Under the US Constitution, Congress can override a presidential veto only with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
The Democratic takeover is expected to increase scrutiny of the administration's policies, including its handling of the Iran war, immigration enforcement and economic measures.
Congressional committees under Democratic leadership will also gain greater authority to conduct investigations and summon administration officials.
The White House's latest message underscored Trump's determination to assert his executive authority despite the loss of Republican control over Congress.
With Democrats preparing to assume leadership of both chambers in January, Washington faces the prospect of intensified political confrontation over legislation, federal spending and the administration's domestic and foreign policy priorities.