Republicans blame Trump for midterm losses in Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina

Republicans are angrily blaming President Donald Trump for the party's devastating midterm defeat, with Democrats winning control of Congress after upset victories in deep-red states like Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina. Party operatives and strategists say Trump's focus on his legacy, unpopular policies on Iran, tariffs, and immigration, and low approval ratings dragged down candidates. One Texas lobbyist called it "a disaster of the first magnitude" and "a total, complete rejection" of the president. Trump dismissed the loss on Truth Social, claiming he would have won in a landslide if he had been on the ballot. Republicans now face a Democratic majority eager to investigate the administration, while some party members look ahead to a post-Trump future in 2028.