Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Republicans’ crushing midterm defeat on voters forgetting President Trump’s “good policy” and believing what she called “the lying media.”
Trump faced a stunning rebuke from voters on Tuesday, many of whom were frustrated by the high cost of living, rising gasoline prices, the war in Iran and aggressive immigration enforcement.
The president’s handpicked Senate candidates in South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan and Texas suffered decisive defeats that far exceeded polling expectations, while Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.
As the results came in and the scale of the Republican losses became clear, Leavitt told Fox News that voters’ short memories had contributed to the defeat.
“Before the president launched the operation in Iran, I remember being at the podium talking about how gasoline was $1.99 in states like Colorado,” Leavitt said on the network.
“And that was because of [Trump’s] energy dominance plan, not the Democrats. So unfortunately, I think the American people forgot about the good policy, maybe listened to the lying media on the other side,” the former press secretary added.
Trump launched his deeply unpopular invasion of Iran in February. The conflict prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which about 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
The closure triggered a sharp increase in gasoline prices and added to broader cost-of-living pressures. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline currently stands at $4.12, up from $3.05 a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Republicans’ midterm defeat on the “lying media” during a Fox News appearance on election night
Leavitt also said voters had forgotten Trump’s “good policy,” recalling how she had discussed gasoline prices of $1.99 in states such as Colorado
A sweeping blue wave across the country amounted to a voter rebuke of Trump’s presidency, with high fuel prices, living costs and foreign wars among the central concerns
Trump entered the White House in 2025 promising to reverse price increases recorded during the Biden administration and pledging that there would be “no new wars.”
In an election-night interview with The Wall Street Journal, the president acknowledged that the war in Iran had contributed to the Republican drubbing.
However, Trump said he did not regret the invasion, telling the publication: “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”
In a Truth Social post Tuesday evening, Trump argued that Republicans had lost because he himself was not on the ballot, appearing to distance himself from the damaging result.
“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.
In the months leading up to the midterms, however, Trump devoted extensive time to campaigning for Republican candidates nationwide and urged voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.”
The president also appeared angry during an election-night call with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, who questioned the “quality” of Trump’s Senate picks in Texas and South Carolina.
Democrat James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton by 12 points in Texas, giving the state its first Democratic senator since 1988. Trump had backed Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary, citing what he viewed as Cornyn’s disloyalty.
Democrat James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton by 12 points in Texas, giving the state its first Democratic senator since 1988. The result far exceeded polling expectations
Democrat Annie Andrews pulled off a surprise victory in South Carolina over Trump’s preferred candidate, Darlene Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham
In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated political newcomer Darlene Graham, who had been appointed to fill the seat of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, and ran in the general election with Trump’s backing.
When Baier asked Trump about his support for the candidates who lost, the president said he had “no choice” but to back Paxton before turning his criticism toward Fox News.
“The Fox polls are terrible. You ought to get yourself a good pollster, because your pollster is the worst,” Trump said.
Baier quickly challenged him, responding: “But tonight actually the results are pretty close to what the Fox polls showed.”
As the Democratic wave continued Tuesday, Trump told The New York Times that he would accept the election results and was willing to work with Democrats.
“We’ll, you know, look forward to working with them,” he said.
“We’ll probably work something out.”
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