White House officials confirmed that former President Donald Trump attributed the Republican losses in this week’s elections to two key factors: the ongoing federal government shutdown and his own name not appearing on the ballot.
Speaking to Republican lawmakers at a breakfast briefing, Trump said, “If you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor — negative for the Republicans,” and noted that many believe GOP turnout was depressed because “I wasn’t on the ballot.” He also remarked that the outcome “wasn’t good for Republicans — I don’t think it was good for anybody.”
The remarks came after major Democratic victories in three gubernatorial and mayoral races, including a high-visibility win in New York City. Trump used the moment to urge Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster in order to reopen the government and revive the party’s legislative agenda while calling for stronger voter-ID laws.