Trump blame game erupts as Biden hails shock victory
Joe Biden last night said he was ‘feeling good’ after the Democrats unexpectedly kept control of the Senate.
The victory, which grants the party control for two more years, came as a bitter blow to the Republicans who had hoped to overturn a narrow Democrat majority.
Last night senior Republicans blamed ex-president Donald Trump for the disappointing result, saying he had ‘cost’ them by endorsing poor candidates.
Republicans had expected a ‘red tsunami’ in the run-up to the midterm elections after polls showed 70 per cent of voters thought the country was on the ‘wrong track’. Issues such as the economy and soaring inflation were expected to spell trouble for the President amid plummeting popularity ratings.
However, last night the Democrats reached the magic number of 50 seats needed to control the Senate thanks to Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada.
Georgia is now the only state where both parties are still competing for a Senate seat, with the runoff taking place on December 6.
Speaking in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, Mr Biden said: ‘We feel good about where we are. I know I’m a cock-eyed optimist but I’m not surprised by the turnout, I’m incredibly pleased by the turnout. I think it’s a reflection of the quality of our candidates.
‘I feel good and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years.’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described it as a ‘victory and vindication’ for the Democrats and accused the Republican Party of stoking fear and division during the campaign.
He added: ‘We knew that the negativity, the nastiness, the condoning of Donald Trump’s big lie – and saying that the elections were rigged when there’s no proof of that at all – would hurt Republicans.’
Mr Trump, who is expected to announce he will run for president in 2024 tomorrow, has faced criticism in the party over the results.
Maryland’s Republican governor Larry Hogan told CNN: ‘This is the third election in a row that Trump has cost us the result. He said we would be tired of winning – well, I’m tired of losing.’
Mitch McConnell, the party’s leader in the Senate, has also faced criticism with Trump allies blaming him for being ‘unexciting, not persuasive, not convincing to voters’.
However, Republicans still remain close to seizing control of the 435seat House of Representatives, which would significantly hamper Mr Biden’s plans. Projections from CBS News said that the party is inching closer to a 218-seat majority, with results still to be called by a handful of districts.
‘Knew the nastiness would hurt us’