Trump Says He Accepts Midterm Results, Vows to Veto Democratic Bills
The president praised Democrats for a hard-fought campaign, blamed gas prices and weak candidates, and promised a wave of vetoes.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he accepts the outcome of the midterm elections and is willing to work with the new Democratic majorities in Congress, while warning that he will veto legislation he considers extreme, according to the BBC, Fox News, ABC News and The Washington Post.
Accepting the results
Asked whether he would accept the results, Trump told Fox News that he would, and he told The New York Times that he was “absolutely willing to accept” them, the BBC reported. He said he looked forward to working with Democrats and that the two sides would “probably work something out.”
The Washington Post described the tone as notably conciliatory after a night in which Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate.
Credit for Democrats, blame for others
Trump said he was “a little bit surprised” by the scale of the Republican losses and that he had expected his party to do better. He also said Democrats “did a good job” and “fought hard,” according to Fox News and ABC News.
He pointed to several reasons for the defeat. He said some Republican candidates failed to inspire voters and argued that the party would have won “in a landslide” if he had been on the ballot. He also said voters were reacting to higher gasoline prices linked to the conflict with Iran, rather than to his Iran policy itself.
On his social media platform, Trump criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, calling him a “RINO,” the BBC reported.
The veto pen
Late Tuesday, Trump posted an image of a red hat bearing the word “Veto,” Fox News reported. He told the network that Democrats would send him bills he considers “insane” and that he would reject them. After a period of vetoes, he predicted, Democrats would come to him asking how to get legislation passed, and the two sides would then work together.
Trump said there were areas where he could cooperate with Democrats, including immigration, but listed several issues on which he would not compromise.
What it means
When the new Congress is seated in January, Democrats will control which bills reach the president’s desk, while Trump keeps the power to block them. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers, a margin Democrats are not expected to reach on their own. That sets up two years in which negotiation, or stalemate, will shape most major legislation.
Sources: Associated Press, BBC, ABC News, Fox News, The Washington Post, The New York Times.
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