Trump says shutdown partly to blame for GOP election losses

President Trump acknowledged it was not a good night for Republicans on Election Day as Democrats secured major victories in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere, suggesting the ongoing government shutdown was partly to blame.

“Last night it was not expected to be a victory. It was very Democrat areas. I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” Trump said in remarks to GOP senators. “I’m not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot.”

Trump argued polls shows the shutdown, which on Wednesday set a record for the longest in history, “was a big factor, negative, for the Republicans.” He also suggested his absence on the ballot was a factor.

An NBC News poll published Sunday found 52 percent of voters blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, while 42 percent blame Democrats.

Democrats won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as down-ballot races in Virginia. Democrats also won key races in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race despite a last minute plea from Trump for voters to back former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The president did not campaign in New Jersey or Virginia ahead of Tuesday's elections. He backed New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli (R), but he did not explicitly endorse Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears (R).

Trump summoned Republican senators to the White House on Wednesday to discuss the election results and the shutdown, where he ramped up his calls for the GOP to eliminate the filibuster and begin passing legislation with a simple partisan majority.