MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
It was a tough night for President Trump. He lashed out early on as results were coming in, showing Democrats ahead in many key races. He blamed Republican candidates for Congress. He blamed the media, including Fox News, and pledged to be Mr. Veto. Trump made himself the central figure in this midterm election, hoping to boost turnout of his traditional supporters. But he could not overcome nationwide concerns, especially about the economy and the high cost of living.
NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez has been watching Mr. Trump for years, and he's here to talk about what just happened. Franco, good morning.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So Mr. Trump repeatedly told supporters to pretend he was on the ballot. How did that work out?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it did not work out well for him. I mean, the goal was turnout. Trump figured if he could just get his own supporters, who do not tend to vote in midterm elections when he's not on the ballot, to just show up, Republicans could either win or at least offset the losses. The problem, as described to me, though, by Republican strategists, is that Trump just made it too much about himself.
MARTIN: So - but Trump has so often defied political expectations. He's been counted out many times before and come back and even prevailed. He did 30 events in 30 days. Why do you think that that did not help more?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, I think it was just the differences of what he felt and what the people were doing. I mean, it couldn't be more clear where Trump's head was at. I mean, the day before the election, his closing argument began and ended with discussing his renovations of the reflecting pool, including algae blooms and improving the grass around the National Mall. You know, you say what you want about improving Washington, D.C. I can tell you that NPR talked a lot - to a lot of voters over the last few months. And the reflecting pool was just not a top issue.
MARTIN: Oh. That is true. So what case did he make?
ORDOÑEZ: Well, I mean, it was just too much about his personality and these kind of pet projects. I mean, basically, Trump didn't make enough of a case about why Republicans should stay in power, and especially what they were doing to address the issues that were important to people's pocketbooks. I mean, just looking at some early exit polls, they show a big shift in groups who helped fuel his 2024 election, especially young people and Latinos moving away from him. Then you have the examples of Texas and South Carolina, two states that haven't elected a Democratic senator in decades, but Trump just would not take the blame, telling Fox News this.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But I don't view it as a hit on me.
ORDOÑEZ: Now, Michel, look. I mean, it was clearly a referendum on Trump in so many different ways. Trump defended his choice to support Ken Paxton in Texas over the incumbent, George - John Cornyn, saying Cornyn wasn't sufficiently loyal and Paxton was with him through thick and thin. It wasn't just Paxton. He also put his thumb on the scale for Darline Graham in South Carolina without much input from other Republicans. And then there's Michael Whatley in North Carolina. That seat was only open because Trump chased out the popular incumbent, Thom Tillis, out of the Senate.
MARTIN: OK. Let me talk about that in a minute. But first, how do you expect the president to respond to this new reality of Democrats holding both Houses in Congress?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. Michel, I mean, I think we're going to have to see how this new world really plays out. I mean, Trump is full of contradictions. Even last night, he posted a picture of a red MAGA hat saying Mr. Veto. The White House posted just an hour ago, really, on Instagram this PSA saying that Trump is still the president. But he also said that he's ready to make deals. I mean, Trump does respect power, and Democrats are the ones with it now. So again, it's just a bit of wait-and-see.
MARTIN: So let's go back to the major theme of this election - certainly one of the major themes - which is the economy. Just say more, if you would, about how prices for basics - groceries, gas, overall economic concerns - shaped results.
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't say that the economy was the only issue, but it was the really big one. I mean, the reality is Trump's economic agenda failed to produce the results he promised. Tariffs raised the cost of imported goods. The Iran war sent gas and diesel fuel prices soaring. I mean, Trump did acknowledge to The Wall Street Journal earlier that at least the war in Iran played a part in voter dissatisfaction. But again, he defended his decision. I'll also note that it's not just the economy. Even immigration likely had an impact by shrinking the labor force and raising concerns about the strong enforcement measures. All those issues likely contributed to the shift in young and Latino voters moving on.
MARTIN: And just briefly, if you can, what do these results say about the direction of the party? Is this the beginning of a post-Trump Republican Party?
ORDOÑEZ: Well, the Republican Party's clearly at a crossroads. They're already grappling with the question of what the party will be without Trump and if and how to separate themselves from MAGA world. But Republicans really need to be careful. I mean, they clearly don't want to repeat the mistakes that were revealed in this midterms. But they just can't abandon Trump and risk alienating his supporters, who have really become the core of this party. And that's why 2028 is really going to be so interesting, because the president election - presidential election to come will reveal a lot about whether the party can figure out a path forward without Trump.
MARTIN: That is NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Franco, thank you.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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