Former President Donald Trump recently placed the blame on Republicans’ disappointing midterm performance on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and abortion.
After the expected “red wave” failed to happen in the November midterm elections, some GOP figures blamed Trump, saying his presence was why some voters turned away. Although Trump refuted the allegations since November, he gave his most straightforward answer of where he believes the blame lies on his social media site, Truth Social.
The former president claimed some Republican candidates “poorly handled” the “abortion issue” and that Senator McConnell’s wasteful spending were the key factors leading to the lackluster midterms.
“It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t live up to expectations in the MidTerms. I was 233-20! It was the “abortion issue,” poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters. Also, the people who pushed so hard for decades against abortion got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court, & just plain disappeared, not to be seen again. Plus, Mitch stupid $’s!” wrote Trump.
Some conservative analysts have sided with Trump. A report by Heritage Action found that abortion was a critical issue that led to GOP losses, but only because Democrats controlled the narrative, outspending Republicans by 45x. Similarly, questionable funding practices by the Republican party didn’t counter the Democratic messaging on the topic, including abortion.
Trump stayed high profile during the midterms
The former president stayed high profile leading up to the midterms despite many Republicans’ wishes. He endorsed some conservative candidates, held rallies, and hinted at his own political future.
Trump announced his 2024 presidential campaign a week after the November midterms. During his announcement speech, Trump said, “the Republican Party should have done better” in the midterms and argued the party expected too much in the midterms.
Several in the party openly blamed Trump for the disappointing showing, including Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who said a Trump endorsement is like “the kiss of death,” and former House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin called Trump a “drag on our ticket.”
However, Trump argued it was the GOP’s handling of the ‘abortion issue.’ The former president said those who pushed for decades to ban abortion had “just plain disappeared, not to be seen again.”
Trump’s campaign has been relatively quiet since his announcement November 15.
