Trump Says He’ll Accept Midterm Results as Democrats Gain

Trump responds to Republican losses

November 4, 2026 · 12:23 a.m. Eastern

President Donald Trump said he would accept the midterm election results as Democrats gained ground in Congress, and argued that Republicans would have won if his own name had been on the ballot.

In a Truth Social post on election night, Trump said he was not on the ballot and claimed Republicans would have won by a landslide if he had been, according to Axios and the Associated Press. The claim is a hypothetical assessment; the election cannot establish how a different ballot would have turned out.

Separately, Trump told The New York Times he was “absolutely willing to accept” the results, AP reported. The news agency said the interview took place shortly before 10:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday.

What the results show

The AP projects Democrats will take control of the Senate after gaining Republican-held seats, including in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Texas. CBS News separately projects Democrats will win control of the House.

News organizations’ projections are not certified results. States continue to count and review ballots, and some contests remain unresolved. The new Congress is scheduled to convene January 3, 2027; the midterm results do not change the president’s office.

On the campaign trail

Trump was not a candidate in the midterms, but he campaigned for Republicans across the country. Before the vote, he repeatedly urged supporters to treat the election as though he were on the ballot, Reuters reported.

In the weeks before Election Day, Trump had said he would accept the outcome if the elections were honest, according to The Washington Post. His election-night comments to the Times were reported as results came in; they should be read alongside, not substituted for, official state certifications.

What comes next

In a CBS News interview before polls closed, Trump said he was prepared to use his veto power if Democrats controlled Congress. A veto can block a bill unless Congress overrides it with the required two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Democratic majorities could set the chambers’ agendas and lead committees. Passing a bill into law would still require both chambers and, ordinarily, the president’s signature. The size of any majority and the fate of specific legislation remain to be determined.

Where the response unfolded

The election was nationwide. The star marks the approximate White House area in Washington, where CBS reported the president was monitoring results; it does not indicate where a particular post or interview was made.

Key moments

1. October 27, 2026 — Trump said he would accept the results if the elections were honest, The Washington Post reported.
2. November 3, 2026 — Voters cast ballots in the midterms; Trump spoke to CBS before polls closed.
3. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Eastern, November 3 — Trump told The New York Times he was willing to accept the results, according to AP.
4. January 3, 2027 — The new Congress is scheduled to convene.

Sources and visual credits

Associated Press: election updates and Trump interview · Axios: Trump’s election-night post · Reuters: campaign context · CBS News: veto interview · CBS News: election-night coverage · The Washington Post: earlier comments.

Visual: stylized editorial illustration based on a 2025 archive portrait by Daniel Torok, White House; public domain. It is not an image of Trump’s election-night reaction. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.