After midterm loss, Trump is left to weigh his next move in Iran war that contributed to GOP debacle
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump faces a tough decision on his unpopular war against Iran after the Republican Party's midterm losses. He had hinted at escalating the conflict if Tehran didn't meet his terms by Election Day. Now with the election behind him, Trump must decide whether to escalate, maintain the status quo or find a pathway out of the conflict. Despite acknowledging the political cost, Trump on Wednesday said his decision to launch the conflict was the right one. The war has caused significant casualties and had an economic impact around the globe. The AP Voter Poll found about one-third of voters said the war in Iran was “crucial” to shaping how they voted for Congress.
Trump brags about his White House ballroom and seeks to deflect blame for GOP midterm drubbing
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump reacted to Republicans' midterm election losses by showcasing the new White House ballroom. He invited reporters on Wednesday to listen as he dug into details of that construction project rather than addressing his party's Election Day thumping. Voters expressed concerns about Trump's and his ability to do the job. According to The AP Voter Poll, many voters believe Trump lacks the right focus. Trump did get around to talking about the election, and he tried to deflect blame for the election results, saying Republicans would have won if he'd been on the ballot. Trump has a history of passing the buck, especially when there are ballot-box failures.
Democratic sweep of Congress ushers in a new era as Trump acknowledges impact of the Iran war
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump acknowledges the Iran war impacted the midterm elections but says he's not considering replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth despite voter dissatisfaction with it. The election blowout of Republicans has delivered a new era in Washington. Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast Tuesday in a rejection of unified GOP control. Democratic majorities will be padded by unusually wide margins in the House and the Senate. Democrats will be under pressure to quickly show they have solutions for voters’ anger and frustration over high prices and the Iran war and unease about the direction of the country. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls the election “a great victory for the American people.”
FACT FOCUS: False claims of rigged elections are limited as midterm vote heavily favors Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) — After President Donald Trump said he accepts the results of his party's midterm route, many of his loyalists reluctantly followed suit. Like the president, his core followers have always been a hair trigger away from branding a losing election rigged. But even some of them conceded Wednesday that the Republican defeat was too big to rig. Great numbers of defeated Republican candidates conceded, congratulated their Democratic opponents and bowed to their fate. A self-described election denier on social media, Rogan O’Handley, said fraud doesn't explain what happened Tuesday. He says: “We lost because we failed to fix the things voters sent us to do."
Vance tries to distance himself from Iran war after GOP's deep losses in midterm elections
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance publicly broke from President Donald Trump’s defense of the Iran war in the wake of the Republican Party’s deep losses in the midterm elections. Vance is widely expected to consider a 2028 run for president. On Wednesday, he blamed the unpopular conflict for the GOP’s drubbing in a lengthy post on social media. Vance said the war was “the reason we lost,” and he challenged people to argue it was worth it. Trump repeatedly did just that on the campaign trail and continued to do so in interviews as election results came in. Trump told reporters that he thought Vance's post "was fine."
Speaker Johnson won't seek reelection as House Republican leader after party's midterm losses
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson will be stepping aside from Republican Party leadership after the GOP’s wipeout in the midterm elections, declining to run for House minority leader in the new Congress. Johnson is expected to stay on as a rank-and-file member from Louisiana when the Congress convenes in January. Johnson's decision sets up a fierce internal party battle for his replacement as GOP leader after the Democrats swept to power. Fellow Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise and Ohio's Jim Jordan have announced their bids for minority leader. The people who told The Associated Press about Johnson’s decision insisted on anonymity to disclose it.
El-Sayed tells AP Michigan rejected ‘hateful, spiteful campaign’ after months of Republican attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed tells The Associated Press that voters have rejected a “hateful, spiteful campaign” after months of Republican attacks on his Muslim identity. El-Sayed spoke to the AP by phone Wednesday. He will become the nation’s first Muslim senator after defeating Republican Mike Rogers by a significant margin in one of the nation's most closely watched races. President Donald Trump repeatedly called him a “jihadist” during the campaign. El-Sayed also reflected on the historic significance of his victory and called for new Democratic leadership in Congress.
Stocks surge, and the Dow soars 1,500 points as oil prices tumble following the US midterm elections
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks soared after President Donald Trump’s party lost its sole control of Washington in the midterm elections. Stocks generally do well in the months following any midterm U.S. election, regardless of who wins, and the S&P 500 jumped 1.6% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,500 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.4%. Stocks of hospital owners and retailers focused on lower-income Americans helped lead the widespread rally. Investors meanwhile see risks for Trump’s social-media company, the AI industry and Elon Musk's businesses. Oil prices tumbled, which helped Treasury yields ease in the bond market.
Florida authorities say 2 dead at Tampa office complex, including gunman shot by security guard
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida authorities say a gunman opened fire at Citibank's business complex in suburban Tampa and killed a woman before a security guard fatally shot him. Chief Deputy Frank Losat of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office told a news conference Wednesday that the shooter drove a car through a fence and plowed into an outdoor courtyard where Citibank employees were eating lunch. Losat said the gunman exited the car with a rifle and fatally shot one person before being shot by private security. Four other people were injured, but Losat said he didn't know if any were shot. Authorities have not given a motive for the shooting at the sprawling complex, where 3,200 people were working.
Authorities are trying to piece together how an escaped Tennessee inmate evaded capture for 10 days
Authorities are still trying to piece together how a convicted murderer in Tennessee evaded capture for more than a week. Jacob Morley escaped in late October and was apprehended on Tuesday. He was found hundreds of miles away near Kansas City, Missouri. Authorities say that Morley, who was serving a life sentence for killing a co-worker four years ago, was apprehended after the truck he'd been driving got stuck in mud. Two rifles and a shotgun were recovered from the truck. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich said that it's a mystery how Morley ended up in Marion, Illinois, before he was eventually apprehended near Kansas City on Tuesday.
