President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning that the ongoing government shutdown was partly to blame for Republican losses on Election Day.
Trump told reporters during a breakfast with GOP lawmakers at the White House that election night on Tuesday ‘was not expected to be a victory,’ saying the 36-day government shutdown was one of two possible reasons.
‘I think, if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,’ Trump said. ‘Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor.’
Trump added: ‘And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot and was the biggest factor. But I don’t know about that. But I was honored that they said that.’
His remarks come after Democrats won resoundingly in multiple states on Tuesday, with exit polls showing economic worries were very much on the minds of voters.
‘I don’t think it was good for Republicans,’ Trump said of the election results. ‘I don’t think it’s good. I’m not sure it was good for anybody.’
Some major losses for Republicans included the New York City mayoral race, and contests for governor in New Jersey and Virginia. Democrats also secured another expected win in California, where voters approved a new congressional map that is designed to help their party win five more U.S. House seats in next year’s midterm elections.
On the morning following the defeats, Trump called on lawmakers to bring the 36-day government shutdown, now the longest on record, to an end.
‘We must get the government open,’ Trump said, going on to push Republican senators to end the filibuster.
‘It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do,’ he said. ‘Terminate the filibuster.’
The Associated Press contributed to this report.