Republicans Point Fingers After Midterm Losses, With Trump at Center of Blame

After losing the midterm elections, Donald Trump and Republicans have begun assigning blame, with the president attributing defeats to his absence from ballots while critics hold him responsible. Internal recriminations have opened a complicated new chapter for the party. Republican critics point to Trump's tariff policies, an unpopular war with Iran that raised prices, and his support for weak candidates in key Senate races. Vice President J.D. Vance blamed the war, while analysts called Trump the "engineer of the Republican collapse" and described the results as "ridiculous." Some Republicans defended Trump, but others push the party to move forward without him, raising questions about his influence during his final two years in office. Critics described the vote as anti-Trump, with one official saying the party faces "moral and intellectual bankruptcy."