'Trump wasn't on the ballot': US president reacts to Democrats' key elections sweep

Trump had endorsed Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, who ran for mayor as an independent.

4 hours ago

US President Donald Trump reacted to Democrats’ victories in Tuesday's major election contests, including the closely-watched mayoral race in New York City, suggesting that the Republican Party’s poor performance was because his name was not on the ballot as well as the prolonged government shutdown.

"'TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,' according to Pollsters,” the president said on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

Democrats won the New York City mayoral race, the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, and California’s Proposition 50 on redistricting, marking their first major electoral wins since Trump began his second term this January.

Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to hold the office, according to unofficial results.

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger will become Virginia’s next governor - and its first female chief executive - while Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey governor’s office.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants”

Voters in the heavily Democratic state of California also approved a new congressional map that is intended to counter an effort led by Trump to bolster Republican chances in next year's midterm elections.

Trump had endorsed former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran for mayor as an independent.

In his victory speech on Tuesday night, Mamdani called out the president, saying: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up.”

He then added: “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight led by an immigrant … So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: to get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.”