President Donald Trump's aides were reeling from the scale of Republican losses on Tuesday night, immediately beginning efforts to determine who was responsible. While officials privately acknowledged that ultimate responsibility lay with Trump for taking the country into an unpopular war with Iran that drove up prices, there is growing pressure to find public scapegoats ranging from cabinet officials to conservative media pundits.
Sources indicate that furious officials and donors expect Trump to follow the precedent set by George W. Bush in 2006, who removed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after the GOP lost both chambers of Congress. However, Trump has not yet decided on such moves, partly recognizing that his staff may have been unable to prevent such overwhelming Democratic victories. Additionally, advisers have suggested keeping top staff within the administration to ensure their loyalty in case they face subpoenas from congressional investigators next year.
Early scrutiny has focused on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is the target of a whisper campaign alleging he presented overly optimistic military outlooks that misled Trump into believing further strikes could win the war. The presentations were reportedly so glowing that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio began requesting their own intelligence briefings this spring to obtain a more somber assessment of the situation.
Trump advisers have also expressed fury toward conservative media commentators who they believe encouraged the president to double down on the war even after it became mired in a stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz. Furthermore, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair is facing blame for his role in developing the GOP midterm strategy, which included an effort to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans.
That redistricting gambit reportedly backfired significantly. Out of 14 key districts that were redrawn this cycle, Republicans won only one race in Texas and one in Tennessee. Conversely, Democrats secured victories by double digits in deep red areas of Texas and Ohio. Blair had already faced criticism as polls showed Republicans trailing even in races Trump carried by wide margins in the 2024 presidential election.
On election night, Trump blamed the quality of candidates in key battlegrounds and claimed voters did not support Republicans because he was not on the ballot himself. However, critics note that many defeated Senate candidates were chosen or endorsed by Trump, including Ken Paxton in Texas and Darline Graham in South Carolina. In North Carolina, former RNC chair Michael Whatley was defeated after Trump primaried popular incumbent Thom Tillis earlier this year.
Trump's claim of not being on the ballot was further undercut by his explicit instructions at rallies across the country for voters to pretend he was on the ballot to drive turnout. Advisers noted that at these same events, Trump overshadowed his own message by repeatedly discussing record profits of oil companies and his vanity construction projects, a message voters clearly rejected.
Sources: WIRED.