Trump Blames ‘Rigged’ Elections After Midterm Rout, Refuses to Face Reality

Rather than acknowledge the scale of the Republican defeat, the president has revived the fraud allegations he used after losing to Biden in 2020. His defiance comes as the Iran war threatens to deepen the political crisis inside his administration and Marco Rubio weighs his own presidential ambitions

Donald Trump appears to have learned nothing from the Republican Party’s crushing midterm defeat. Instead of acknowledging that voters have rejected his administration’s record, the president has fallen back on an old and discredited refrain: American elections are rigged. It is the same accusation he used after losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, and it is now resurfacing after another devastating setback for his party.

“Our elections are so rigged, you have no idea,” Trump declared from the Oval Office, in his first broad reference to electoral fraud since the November 3 vote. He also described the election in Los Angeles as “a really disgraceful event.” There was no admission that the results might reflect growing opposition to his way of governing, no recognition of the message sent by millions of voters. Just another attempt to cast doubt on the legitimacy of an election that went against him.

The president’s refusal to confront the political meaning of the defeat is particularly striking as the consequences of his decisions abroad begin to weigh on his own administration. The war in Iran remains the most dangerous of those liabilities. Asked about the next steps, Trump said Washington would soon decide whether to “finish the job” to ensure that the threat never returns.

He claimed he would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country, but immediately added that he might be forced to do so. The consequences, he warned, could leave Iran facing 25 years of reconstruction. Trump acknowledged that 18 Americans had died in the conflict, but appeared to minimize the toll by comparing it with the thousands of U.S. service members killed in Vietnam.

It was a chilling answer from a president who continues to speak of escalation even after an election that has exposed the political cost of his approach. The possibility of further large-scale attacks against Iran remains on the table, although the midterm results have made that course more difficult to pursue.

Trump also defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, declaring that he had done “a fantastic job.” The public endorsement, however, sits uneasily alongside reports that the president has privately been considering replacing him. According to NBC News, Trump discussed possible successors with allies in the days before the election, asking who could take over the Pentagon. Some of Hegseth’s upcoming trips have also reportedly been suspended, according to four people familiar with the matter. Two sources suggested the changes could be connected either to preparations for a renewed military campaign against Iran or to political calculations after the midterms.

The uncertainty surrounding Hegseth is another sign of the pressure building inside the administration. The defense secretary has been a prominent advocate of the Iran campaign, but the war is increasingly associated with the Republican defeat. Trump may still want him at the Pentagon, particularly if he intends to resume military operations, but the political price of that loyalty is becoming harder to ignore.

On Ukraine, Trump once again offered grand promises without providing details. He predicted a “great” agreement that could involve not only Ukraine but Europe as a whole, insisting that everyone would be enthusiastic about the outcome. Asked about Russian attacks on civilians, he said he regularly raised the issue with Vladimir Putin, but also accused Ukraine of killing people. He claimed that 25,000 people were dying each month and described the conflict as a “bloodbath,” arguing that Russia was also losing civilians.

While Trump insists on defending his record, another potential Republican contender may already be calculating how to distance himself from it. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied reports that he is considering leaving the administration, saying his plan has always been to remain in government until the end of Trump’s term. His denial followed an Independent report that he was weighing an exit to separate himself from the president and the Iran war ahead of a possible 2028 presidential campaign.

The possibility of Rubio’s departure had been discussed even before the Republican electoral setback. Senior Republican figures and prominent members of the British government had told The Independent that he might leave his post. Sources cited by the newspaper said the midterm results had strengthened his ambitions. One Washington source said Rubio wanted to distance himself from the war against Iran and place responsibility for it squarely on Trump.

A source close to the secretary of state described him as the leading contender for the Republican nomination, with a substantial advantage over Vice President JD Vance, who is also expected to seek the presidency. But Rubio cannot realistically pursue the nomination while serving as secretary of state, and his association with an increasingly unpopular administration could damage his prospects. From that perspective, leaving the government would be a logical move.

Rubio may, however, be getting ahead of himself. If the midterm results are any indication of the direction in which the country is moving, Republicans could face a difficult path back to the White House. Distancing himself from Trump might help Rubio escape responsibility for the current administration’s failures, but it would not erase his own role in it. And with the Iran war far from resolved, the political consequences of the conflict could follow him well beyond the end of Trump’s presidency.

(Photo: © AndKronos)