US President Donald Trump has questioned the credibility of the midterm election results after the Republican Party suffered a major setback, with Democrats securing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump alleged irregularities in early voting and raised questions about the role of voting machines. He also expressed doubts over the significant disparity between pre-election opinion polls and the final results.
"Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong??? Some early voting ‘dumps’ were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people went to vote. It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter! President DJT," Trump wrote.
The election, held on November 3 amid the ongoing US military campaign in Iran, dealt a significant blow to Trump and the Republican Party. Democratic candidates made major gains across the country, securing control of both chambers of Congress and flipping several key gubernatorial seats.
Republicans suffered defeats in several traditionally competitive or stronghold states, including Texas, Georgia, Iowa and Ohio, where Democrats captured gubernatorial positions.
The party also faced setbacks in Senate races across Texas, Maine, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas, Iowa and Ohio. Trump had actively campaigned for Republican candidates in several contests, urging voters to treat the elections as a referendum on his presidency.
The Democratic takeover of both the House and Senate marks a major shift in the balance of power in Washington, ending Republican control of Congress.
With control of both chambers, Democrats are expected to intensify congressional scrutiny of the Trump administration through committee hearings, subpoenas and investigations into federal spending and executive actions. Such oversight could significantly constrain the administration, even without the passage of new legislation.
Trump, meanwhile, has indicated that he is prepared to exercise his presidential veto authority against legislation he opposes. However, he has also suggested that he does not want the next two years to be dominated by political confrontation.
