President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the midterm election results signalled a “mood in the air”, while pointing to victories in Florida as consolation in an election widely seen as a stinging repudiation of his second administration.
Speaking to Fox News after Tuesday’s vote, Trump praised the opposition’s campaign, saying: “I think the Democrats did a good job. I really do. I think they did a good job. They fought hard.” He added that there was a “mood in the air” and that “I shouldn’t feel guilty.”
The president did not address the nation on Tuesday evening, and his Fox News remarks were his most direct public response to a night in which Democrats were projected to win control of both houses of Congress.
Florida’s consolation prizes
Florida, Trump’s adopted home state, handed the president the night’s clearest consolation prizes. Trump-backed Byron Donalds won the state’s governorship, becoming Florida’s first Black governor, while Republican Ashley Moody held on to the US Senate seat she already occupies.
Both won by single-digit margins, far narrower than Republicans might once have expected in Florida. The Palm Beach Post reports that both contests were won by just single-digit margins, and the GOP also maintained its 20-8 domination of the state’s congressional delegation.
Donalds defeated Democratic nominee David Jolly and will succeed outgoing Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Moody fended off Democrat Angie Nixon and was ahead by only about three percentage points in a state Trump carried by 13 points in 2024, according to a vote count compiled by Reuters and USA Today.
A national rout
Nationally, the picture was far bleaker for Trump and his party. Democrats were projected to win as many as 255 seats in the US House and at least 53 in the US Senate, according to the Palm Beach Post’s account of the projections, with the sweep also including 19 of the 30 governorships up for grabs.
The results reflected deep anger over living costs, tariffs and the US war against Iran, which has driven fuel prices sharply higher, with Trump’s approval ratings languishing near record lows.
Trump had separately told The New York Times he would accept the election results. His Fox News comments struck a different note from his history of questioning election outcomes, even as he framed the Florida results as evidence that his movement had not been wiped out.
What happens next
With Democrats set to control Congress for the final two years of Trump’s presidency, the president has already signalled confrontation over the Democratic agenda, including promises to use his veto power. The Florida results, narrow as they were, give Trump a pair of high-profile allies in a state that remains central to his political identity — but the single-digit margins also show that even Republican strongholds shifted sharply toward Democrats.
Frequently asked questions
What did Trump mean by a “mood in the air”?
Speaking to Fox News, Trump acknowledged that the election results signalled a “mood in the air” — an admission that voters had turned against his party, even as he pointed to wins in Florida and elsewhere.
Who won Florida’s two marquee races?
Byron Donalds won the governorship, becoming Florida’s first Black governor, and Ashley Moody held her US Senate seat. Both won by single-digit margins.
How big was the Democratic sweep nationally?
Democrats were projected to win control of both the House and the Senate, with as many as 255 House seats and at least 53 Senate seats projected, plus 19 of 30 governorships contested.
Sources:
- Palm Beach Post: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/elections/national/2026/11/03/floridas-gop-is-in-the-limelight-as-all-eyes-are-on-trump/92446238007/
- NDTV live results: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-midterm-elections-2026-live-updates-donald-trump-jd-vance-democrats-republicans-senate-house-12276905
- Khaleej Times: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/americas/us-midterms-results-democrats-republicans-trump-house-of-representatives?amp=1
- Associated Press, Florida Senate results: https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/?ap_doc=ap%2Fv2%2F20261103%2Fl%2F84979%2FFL%2Fs%2F109657
- Associated Press, Florida governor results: https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/?ap_doc=ap%2Fv2%2F20261103%2Fl%2F10045%2FFL%2Fs%2F62408
Related reading: Democrats Win Senate Control in 2026 Midterms; Global Stocks Slump as Dollar Slides After Midterm Sweep
