US President Donald Trump said he would accept the results of the 2026 midterm elections and was prepared to work with Democrats, as the party was on track to take control of both chambers of Congress, according to a report by The New York Times.
“I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” Trump told The New York Times in an interview, while he was watching election returns at the White House.
He also indicated that he was open to working with Democrats after the elections.
“We’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll, you know, look forward to working with them. We’ll probably work something out,” he said.
Trump blamed Republican losses on his absence from the ballot, saying the party would have performed better if he had been running. He also said he had no regrets about endorsing candidates such as South Carolina Republican Darline Graham and Texas Republican Ken Paxton.
Also read: Check live coverage of the 2026 US Midterms here.
Trump reacts to Republican losses
During the interview, Trump was following the results as they came in and appeared surprised by Graham’s defeat.
“I’m just looking at these results as I’m talking,” he told the newspaper. “I see that Darline lost. Wow, that’s amazing. How do you think Lindsey would have done if he ran?”
Graham had temporarily filled the Senate seat following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham in July. Trump said he believed the late senator would most likely have won the race had he contested it.
The president’s comments came as Democrats were projected to make significant gains in the midterm elections. Graham had lost her race, while Paxton was trailing in his campaign for a Senate seat in Texas, according to the New York Times report.
Also Read: Democrats win US House control, inch closer to Senate majority in huge blow to Trump
Democrats poised to gain control of Congress
Democrats were on track to take control of the House and the Senate, according to the election projections cited by the newspaper. A shift in congressional control would end the Republicans‘ ability to govern with unified control of Washington and give Democrats greater authority to scrutinize the Trump administration.
A Democratic majority in the House would allow the party to take control of congressional committees, conduct investigations and issue subpoenas as part of its oversight of the administration.
The change could also complicate Trump’s legislative agenda. Even if Democrats gain control of both chambers, the president would retain his veto power, making bipartisan support important for legislation to become law.
The new Congress is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027. The election outcome is expected to shape the political relationship between the White House and lawmakers during the remaining two years of Trump’s term.