US President Donald Trump has explained the main reasons behind the Republican Party’s defeat in the congressional midterm elections, citing the war with Iran and rising fuel prices.
Trump identified the conflict with Iran and high energy costs as major factors contributing to his party’s electoral losses, Associated Press reports.
According to the US president, rising fuel prices prevented Americans from feeling the benefits of the country’s economic development.
Trump acknowledged that the economic consequences of the conflict with Iran had negatively affected public perceptions of the economy and contributed to the Republican Party’s poor election performance.
The Democratic Party has gained the upper hand in elections to both chambers of the US Congress, according to the latest reported results.
The figures cited in the report show that Democrats have secured 219 seats in the House of Representatives, compared with 123 for Republicans.
In the Senate, Democrats have secured 53 seats, while Republicans hold 41, according to the reported figures.
The results represent a significant setback for Republicans during Trump’s second presidential term.
In an earlier report, Trump blamed Fox News for Republican losses, accusing the network of undermining conservative candidates by giving airtime to Democrats.
“Fox News bears responsibility for these losses by constantly and consistently putting on the Democrat opposition, and worse,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
He singled out former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, questioning why the network allowed him to appear on air and offer advice on governing the country, while claiming he had left office in disgrace.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Fox News commentators and editorial decisions that diverged from his political positions throughout the election cycle.
The remarks came as Democrats took control of the Senate and appeared on course to secure a majority in the House of Representatives, threatening to constrain Trump’s legislative agenda.
