US President Donald Trump congratulated Democrats on their gains in the congressional midterm elections, expressing willingness to work with party members in the country’s interest.
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump said his message to Democrats was: “Congratulations. I look forward to working with you for the good of our country.”
He said he knew many Democrats and had full veto authority, adding that he believed agreements could be reached with them.
“I think they’ll want to work with me. Otherwise, I’ll veto everything, and they won’t want that,” he said.
Trump attributed Republican losses to his name not appearing on the ballot, arguing that the party would have won had he been a candidate.
He also said voters had rejected some Republican candidates, including individuals who were not among his allies.
He added that some of his supporters had stayed away from the polls, arguing that Republicans would have secured an easy victory if his name had been on the ballot.
Asked whether he was disappointed with the results, Trump said he had made significant efforts to help Republican candidates win but had fallen short.
He blamed low voter turnout, saying participation would have been different had he been on the ballot.
He added that such setbacks occur from time to time and that similar situations had arisen in previous elections.
Separately, Trump said the war with Iran would end “when I say it’s over”, stressing that he would decide when it stops.
