Trump White House Defiant as Democrats Eye Midterm Gains

President Donald Trump’s White House said Tuesday it was in a defiant mood despite a likely hammering in the US midterm elections (AFP)

An administration official questions the strength of some Republican candidates, while Trump tells CBS he is prepared to veto Democratic legislation if the party takes control of Congress.

Key Highlights

• The White House struck a defiant tone as early indications pointed to Democratic gains.
• Trump criticised Fox News’s election coverage in a series of Truth Social posts.
• Control of the House and Senate remained unresolved at the time of AFP’s dispatch.

Washington: President Donald Trump’s White House struck a defiant tone on Tuesday night as early indications in the US midterm elections pointed to a setback for Republicans. An administration official told AFP that Trump would continue to oppose the Democrats’ agenda and questioned whether some Republican candidates had campaigned effectively enough.

“The White House mood is defiant,” the official told AFP, after the administration had earlier described Trump as cautiously optimistic. The official argued that Trump had done more to promote some Republican candidates than they had done to promote themselves. Trump had endorsed many of those candidates and travelled around the country to rally support for them.

Trump Signals Readiness to Use Veto

Trump told CBS in a telephone interview that he was prepared to become “Mr Veto” if Democrats gained control of Congress. A Democratic majority in either chamber would complicate his efforts to pass legislation in the final two years of his term.

Trump watched the returns with Cabinet officials and political advisers in the White House East Room, the administration said. Journalists were kept outside the gathering. As the first polls closed, Trump used Truth Social to attack Fox News’s coverage, criticising a host and disputing the broadcaster’s polling.

Fuel Prices and Iran Feature in White House Response

AFP reported that polling had pointed to voter frustration over the conflict with Iran and rising living costs. The White House official argued that petrol prices would fall once the conflict was resolved and predicted that voters who backed Democrats would come to regret their choice.

The official said the president’s opposition to the Democratic agenda would harden regardless of the outcome, ending with a warning: “Buckle up.”