AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
President Donald Trump offered an all-caps excuse for the Republican Party’s massive election losses on Tuesday.
“‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” wrote Trump in a Truth Social post after a slew of candidates he endorsed were defeated in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
In the Virginia gubernatorial election to decide the successor of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, flipping the state blue.
The Republican Party was also defeated in the Virginia Attorney General election, which was won by Democrat Jay Jones despite a large scandal, while Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli was defeated by Democrat Mikie Sherrill in the New Jersey gubernatorial election.
Trump was also indirectly defeated in the New York City mayoral election, with his endorsed candidate – Democrat-turned-independent Andrew Cuomo – losing to Democrat Zohran Mamdani. In a controversial endorsement of Cuomo for mayor of New York City, Trump threw Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa under the bus, urging his supporters not to vote Republican in an ill-fated effort to defeat Mamdani.
Trump endorsed the Republican candidate in every other race, writing, “VIRGINIA AND NEW JERSEY, REMEMBER THIS: A VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER ENERGY PRICES, A VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT, ESPECIALLY THESE TWO LOSERS WHO ARE RUNNING, MEANS A DOUBLING, TRIPLING, AND EVEN QUADRUPLING OF YOUR ENERGY COSTS.”
“IT WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE, AND YOU WILL RUE THE DAY THAT YOU VOTED TO DESTROY YOUR LIFE!” he warned. “FAILING TO VOTE TOMORROW IS THE SAME AS VOTING FOR A DEMOCRAT. FIND YOUR VOTING LOCATION.”
