Donald Trump commented on the disappointing results of Republicans in Tuesday's municipal elections, distancing himself from the defeats which he attributed to external factors, such as the temporary shutdown of the federal government and his own absence from the ballots.
The president of the United States used his platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday night to comment on Republican defeats, attempting to disassociate his name from the party's disappointing electoral performance.
“TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT AND THE SHUTDOWN WERE THE TWO REASONS THE REPUBLICANS LOST THE ELECTION TONIGHT,” Trump wrote, citing “polls” without naming them. It was his first public statement since Tuesday’s results showed losses for the Republican Party in key races.
Trump had endorsed New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli during the party's primary earlier this year and had held online speaking engagements for candidates in New Jersey and Virginia. However, he had not explicitly endorsed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earl-Sears.
A day before the election, Trump had called on his supporters to support former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, instead of Republican Curtis Sliwa and Democrat Zohran Mamdani, in the battle for the mayor of New York.
According to CNN's predictions, both Ciattarelli, Earle-Sears, and Cuomo lost their respective election contests.
Shortly afterwards, Trump attempted to shift attention to more favorable news, writing that his interview on Sunday's "60 Minutes" show "had the highest ratings in years."
Source: protothema.gr
