Trump blames shutdown for overwhelming Democratic election win

Voters across the country backed Democrats Tuesday at the polls, adding fuel to the government shutdown fire that reached a historic moment Wednesday in Washington, D.C. 

"We must get the government back open soon," Trump said during a breakfast meeting Wednesday with GOP senators at the White House, saying it was "negative" for Republicans. 

Trump says shutdown bad for Republicans

The backstory:

President Trump met with and spoke to GOP senators Wednesday morning as the shutdown entered its 36th day and became the longest in U.S. history.  

What they're saying:

"I thought we’d have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented and what we should do about it, and also about the shutdown and how that relates to last night," he said. "I think, if you read the pollsters, that the shutdown was a big factor. Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor."

Dig deeper:

He also said polls were saying the fact that he wasn’t on the ballot hurt Republican voter turnout, leading to Democratic wins. 

"And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot was the biggest factor, but I don’t know about that. But I was honored that they said that." 

The other side:

Though the candidates and local issues all played a role in the results, voter attitudes about the president and his agenda were central to their choices, an AP Voter Poll found, offering the first clear review from voters of Trump’s agenda just nine months after he returned to power.

Democrats take wins across country

Big picture view:

Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Trump returned to the White House. Here are some snippets of Democratic wins: 

• Governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the only states electing new chief executives this year
• The passage of Prop. 50 in California, which is expected to add as many as five Democratic-held seats in Congress in time for the 2026 midterms
• A trio of state Supreme Court contests in swing-state Pennsylvania
• Two seats flipped blue for the Georgia Public Service Commission, delivering the largest statewide margins of victory by Democrats in more than 20 years
• And, of course, New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani

READ MORE: Who is Zohran Mamdani? Meet the next mayor of New York City

Bottom line:

Tuesday’s elections were limited to a handful of states, most of which lean blue, and the party that holds the White House typically struggles in off-year elections.

What's next:

Feeling energized and fresh off several winning campaigns, the Democratic party could see a new playbook emerge for future races. Democratic candidates who won in the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, and the New York City mayor’s contest, focused their campaigns on the public’s cost-of-living concerns. 

On the other side, Trump now said on social media Wednesday morning that "affordability" is the GOP’s goal. 

"Happy Anniversary! On this day, November 5th, one year ago, we had one of the Greatest Presidential Victories in History — Such an Honor to represent our Country. Our Economy is BOOMING, and Costs are coming way down. Affordability is our goal. Love to the American People!" he wrote.

Wednesday marked one year since his reelection.

Longest shutdown ever

Meanwhile:

The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the longest ever. It’s disrupting the lives of millions of Americans with federal program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without paychecks.

READ MORE: 2025 government shutdown is the longest in US history

Trump continued to push GOP senators Wednesday morning at the White House breakfast to end the filibuster. 

But Senate GOP leader John Thune says that's "not happening" and top Democrat Chuck Schumer says the election night results "ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis."

PoliticsDonald J. TrumpU.S.Election