White House doubles down with reminders that Trump ‘is still your president’ message after midterm bloodbath - The Independent

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The White House is doubling down on its message reminding Americans that Donald Trump “is still your president” the morning after Republicans suffered a “bloodbath” in the midterm elections.

Americans heralded the beginning of the end of Trump’s era by turning to Democrats in droves on Election Day, propelling them to take back the House and the Senate in a shift not seen in decades.

“PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT,” the official White House account posted on social media Wednesday morning, accompanied by an ominous-looking photograph of Trump staring down the lens, leaning on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office with his fists. The president is pulling a similar expression to his infamous 2023 mug shot when he was arrested on charges to overturn the 2020 election result.

“Thank you for your attention in this matter,” the post said, parroting Trump’s signature sign-off.

It echoed a message shared by White House communications director Steven Cheung in the early hours of Wednesday as Republicans were pounded with losses across the board.

“Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States,” Cheung posted. “Still your President!”

“Lame duck president for the next 2 years,” one X user wrote. “Steven demonstrating exactly why MAGA died tonight.”

“Can’t spin this one. Everyone hates what you guys are doing,” Tim Fullerton, CEO and co-founder of the progressive outlet Find Out Media, commented.

“He just lost Congress. Many people are saying it was one of the worst losses for a president in history. He’s a lame duck now!” a third wrote.

The defiant White House social media post was also hit by backlash as people gloated about the humiliating result.

“If you have to remind people you’re the boss, you probably aren’t,” an Instagram user replied. “What stage of Grief is this?” another quipped.

Trump hasn’t posted on Truth Social since late Tuesday but gave an interview to Fox News just after midnight, where he failed to take responsibility for the Republican losses and blamed GOP candidates.

“I don’t view it as a hit on me,” he told Fox News. “I think we’ve had the greatest two years in the history of the presidency in terms of the economy, in terms of all the things we’ve done…”

But the mood among Republicans was grim, with officials looking for someone to blame for the party’s disastrous election results, Politico reported.

“We are beyond candidate quality. It’s a bloodbath,” a senior Senate GOP official told the outlet. “Trump did this.”

The mood in the White House was described as “very, very dark” by one senior official, according to the Daily Mail, as top advisors and allies gathered for a watch party in the East Room.

Another source close to the president told the newspaper that Trump had gone silent by 11 p.m., incensed by the blue wave sweeping away his strongholds.

“He’s watching Fox News barely uttering a word and paralyzed into silence,” the source said.

Democrats, meanwhile, were celebrating a night of historic wins.

The results elevated the country's first Black female governor, the first Native American female governor, the first Native female senator and the first openly gay male U.S. senator.

By early Wednesday, the first Muslim U.S. senator had joined the list of barrier-breaking milestones. The blue wave also means the United States will likely have its first-ever Black speaker of the House.