Trump congratulates Democrats after Republican midterm defeats
US President Donald Trump has attributed his Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections partly to the rise in petrol prices caused by the war in Iran. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump said voters generally supported his decision to take action against Iran, but were unwilling to accept the immediate financial cost of the conflict at the petrol pump.
Trump presented the higher fuel prices as a short-term burden that could eventually produce longer-term benefits, while acknowledging that voters were understandably concerned about the impact on household expenses. His explanation suggests that support for his foreign-policy decisions did not necessarily translate into willingness to endure their economic consequences.
The president also adopted an unusually conciliatory tone towards his Democratic opponents. Rather than dismissing their results, he said they had run an effective campaign and had fought hard. His comments combined an acknowledgement of voter frustration over fuel costs with praise for the Democrats’ performance in an election that delivered significant defeats for Republicans.
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