Trump Delivers Warning To GOP Following Tuesday Election Losses
President Donald J. Trump pointed to what he called flawed “pollster narratives” as the primary explanation for Republican setbacks in several key races on Tuesday — arguing that the temporary government shutdown and the fact that his name was not on the ballot influenced voter turnout and outcomes.
“‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT, according to Pollsters,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday evening, emphasizing that Republican enthusiasm is uniquely driven by his leadership and presence on the ballot.
Although Republicans fell short in several high-profile contests, many of those races occurred in deep-blue cities and districts where Democrats maintain structural advantages. Still, Democrats and allied media outlets seized on the results to claim momentum heading into the midterm cycle.
In New York City, far-left activist Zohran Mamdani secured the mayoralty, defeating a bipartisan coalition that had coalesced around former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). Mamdani, aligned with Democratic Socialists of America, has openly supported anti-police movements and sanctuary-city policies.
On the West Coast, California voters approved Proposition 50, a measure that effectively dismantles the state’s independent redistricting commission. The move will allow Democrat officials to redraw congressional lines ahead of 2026 — potentially giving the party as many as five additional House seats and undermining two decades of voter-backed reforms aimed at reducing partisan gerrymandering.
“It was not expected to be a victory. I don’t think it was good for Republicans. I’m not sure it was good for anybody, but we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot,” President Trump told GOP senators during a Wednesday morning policy breakfast.
Democrats also notched wins in New Jersey and Virginia. In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by a comfortable double-digit margin. Meanwhile, in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger prevailed over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in another decisive result. During the previous election cycle, when Trump was not on the ballot, Virginia and New Jersey both leaned Democrat by similar margins.
In response to Mamdani’s victory, House Republicans are examining legal pathways to prevent him from being seated. The effort draws on the Constitution’s post–Civil War “insurrection clause” — Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — which bars individuals from holding office if they have “engaged in insurrection” or provided “aid or comfort” to America’s enemies.
Advocates of the challenge argue that Mamdani’s past statements urging activists to “resist ICE” and his affiliations with radical left-wing organizations could potentially qualify under that standard.
“There is a real and legitimate push to see the insurrectionist Zohran Mamdani either a) removed from the ballot or b) removed from office if he is to win on Tuesday,” said Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club.
Republicans are examining whether Congress — not state election boards — holds the authority to enforce Section 3. That view is grounded in the Supreme Court’s ruling last year rejecting Colorado’s attempt to remove Trump from its ballot, in which the Court affirmed that Congress alone possesses the constitutional authority to act on such cases.
With Republicans holding a narrow 219–213 House majority, some GOP lawmakers are discussing the possibility of a formal vote to determine Mamdani’s eligibility. However, any such effort would face a Democrat-controlled Senate, as well as lengthy and contentious court proceedings.