Wall Street Journal editorial board: Trump ‘main architect’ of GOP midterm ‘rout’

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board cast much of the blame on President Trump for GOP losses Tuesday, as Democrats are poised to take control of both the House and Senate.

“Republicans may console themselves that midterm defeats in second presidential terms are common. But this was more than a normal defeat,” the board wrote in a piece published early Wednesday.

“The loss of Senate seats and governorships in states that had become GOP redoubts will have ramifications for years to come,” it continued. “So will the cascading losses down ballot in state legislatures.”

“True to form, President Trump is already blaming everyone else, but he is the main architect of this rout,” the board added.

Trump has taken his frustration over the results out on the media and GOP candidates he accused of being “Republican in Name Only.” The Journal suggested the president could also look at the Senate filibuster and lack of action on his Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — which would require proof of citizenship to vote if passed — as fodder for the upsets.

“But neither would have saved the GOP this year, even if there had been enough votes to do either,” the Journal piece reads.

A blue wave cascaded throughout the U.S. on Tuesday, locking down the possibility of limiting Trump’s power through his last two years in office.

The Democratic victories came as the GOP faced rocky political territory over issues including the unpopular war in Iran , Trump’s slumping approval numbers and concerns about the cost of living.

Democrats are projected to secure 256 seats in the House and 55 seats in the Senate, according to Decision Desk HQ, marking gains for the party that currently holds 214 seats in the lower chamber and 45 seats in the upper. It’s a notable victory for a party that was marred by infighting and frustration in the wake of their 2024 election losses.

“More broadly, the President’s erratic and self-indulgent second-term governance has alienated much of the coalition he assembled in 2024. He won a second term on the promise to repeat the economic success of his first,” the Journal’s board wrote.

“But this time he insisted on imposing universal tariffs, often willy-nilly, that have raised prices for many goods and been especially damaging in Iowa, Kansas and the Farm Belt,” it added. “His senseless trade war with Canada hurt Republicans in Michigan, Maine, even Texas.”

When reached for comment, a White House official told The Hill that “The White House mood is defiant.”

“President Trump was not on the ballot, and it’s proven that Trump voters show up when he is on the ballot.”