Cold shower for Donald Trump. With the midterm elections the American president lost control of Congress. The results (live here) are not yet definitive but there are no doubts about the success of the so-called “blue wave”. After an initial silence, Trump began to flood social media and the media with statements. There is everything and the opposite of everything. He says to the New York Times: “I will collaborate”, but then on the social network Truth he posts an image of a hat with the word “veto” written on it, alluding to his power to block laws in Congress.
The midterm elections
Democrats took control of Congress after taking both the Senate and the House from the Republicans. What emerges from the polls is a clear rejection of President Trump, who loses states considered Republican strongholds. Democrats snatched Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and even Texas.
Trump’s reaction
The American president follows the count with his faithful. Initially silent, he then began to comment via social media and give a series of telephone interviews to media such as NYT, Politico and Fox.
The first comment was on Truth. Livorous tone, a complaint: if his name had been on the ballot, the result would have been different.
After a while he appeared conciliatory. Speaking to the New York Times he said he accepted the outcome of the vote and was ready to collaborate with the Democrats. He also reiterated: “We can’t wait to work with them. We will probably be able to find an agreement.”
Then another change of pace. Also on Truth he proposed himself in a new role: commentator or analyst of the Republicans’ defeats in these midterms. “I will become a political expert, for better or worse, on the reasons why these candidates won or lost!”, wrote the tycoon on Truth using the term “pundit”, which literally means “master” or “sage” but in political jargon means analyst, commentator or know-it-all.
Shortly afterwards he posted an image on Truth of a baseball cap – the classic red Maga cap – with the word “VETO” highlighted, reiterating the threat to block any initiative by the Democrats.
He doesn’t seem to have very clear ideas about the veto. Two days ago Trump warned that in case of defeat he would become “Mr. Veto”. Now he posted the image of the hat, but then in another telephone conversation with Politico the tycoon said he didn’t want to “spend two years vetoing everything”.
Trump has remained far from self-criticism. “Congratulations to the Democrats,” he told Fox News. “They’ve done a great job. They’ve been looking for this victory for 11 years and they finally got it. But I don’t consider it a defeat for me. I think we’ve had the best two years in the history of the presidency.”
And again, speaking to the Wall Street Journal he admitted that “the war in Iran had a role” in the vote but then came the clarification: “I did the right thing. I would do it again”.
Trump’s next move
No public appointments are scheduled for today, November 4th. According to the agenda released by the White House, the president has four meetings scheduled dedicated to political issues, all behind closed doors and without access to the press. Trump, however, has on multiple occasions in the past decided at the last minute to meet with reporters at events where he was not scheduled to.