After U.S. Democrats' Landslide, "It Was Like a Funeral"..."Lame-Duck Trump Could Turn Into an Angry Duck": Will Europe Feel the Fallout?

Trump Watches Election Results Coverage While Berating Aides
Fears He Could Take Out His Frustration on Europe
Also Criticizes Republican Politicians on Social Media
Could Use Foreign Policy to Make Up for Lost Domestic Power and Project His Infl

With the U.S. midterm elections ending in a crushing defeat for Republicans, reports say U.S. President Donald Trump has been taking out his frustration on his aides and blaming others on social media.

U.S. President Donald Trump AFP-Yonhap News

The New York Times (NYT) and other U.S. newspapers reported on November 3, local time, that Trump watched election returns that night in the White House East Room with close aides, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Democrats won sweeping victories in both the House and Senate. The NYT reported that some of those present described the atmosphere as "gloomy" and "like a funeral." Some aides reportedly left before 10 p.m.

The White House. AP/Yonhap News

Some pro-Trump figures who spoke to the NYT anonymously said they were glad they had not been in Washington, D.C., on election night. According to the outlet, Trump vented his frustration to political aides throughout the evening and reportedly lashed out, saying he had been given inaccurate information about the polls.

The VETO hat posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on the night of the midterm elections. Screenshot from Truth Social.

Trump also blamed others on his social media platform, Truth Social, as votes were being counted that day. "My name was not on the ballot, and if it had been, we would have won by a landslide," he claimed. He also said incumbent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who failed to win a fourth term, "would not have lost if he had not become a RINO (Republican in name only) in the final six months of his political career."

However, in an interview with the NYT at around 10:30 p.m. that night, Trump said he was "fully willing to accept" the midterm results, adding, "We will work with the Democrats, and we look forward to doing so." At around 11:40 p.m., however, he posted on Truth Social a photo of a red hat bearing the word "VETO." The post was seen as signaling that he was prepared to veto bills passed by the incoming Democrat-led Congress.

Trump Takes a Hit in the U.S.; Will He Turn His Attention to Europe?

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap

Some analysts also suggested that Trump's "venting" could extend beyond his aides and the ruling party to Europe. The political news outlet Politico reported that day, "Europe is at risk of bearing the brunt of Trump's frustration."

The outlet noted that Trump could see Europe as a prime target for demonstrating his power, and that trade tensions between the United States and Europe could flare up again. Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, warned that a "lame duck" (a leader who has lost political clout) could turn into an "angry duck," adding, "President Trump has neither stability nor predictability."

Daniela Schwarzer, dean of the Hertie School in Germany, also warned that "a badly defeated Trump could try to offset his loss of domestic power through foreign policy," adding that his conduct could become even more unpredictable after the election defeat.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.