President Donald Trump handpicked several of the GOP candidates who lost Tuesday, adding insult to injury in a dismal election cycle for the president and his Republican allies.
In South Carolina, Trump had personally persuaded Sen. Darline Graham to run for a full term after throwing his weight behind her to succeed her brother, Lindsey Graham, after his death in July. She lost to Democratic physician Annie Andrews by more than four percentage points, in a state Trump won by nearly 18 points in 2024.
During the GOP primary for the Senate race in Texas, Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn (R), despite the numerous scandals dogging Paxton. On Tuesday, James Talarico upset Paxton, becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988.
Other candidates Trump boosted — all but clearing the field for them during the Republican primaries — included former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley for Senate in North Carolina and Vivek Ramaswamy for governor in Ohio. Both lost their races as well.
A defiant Trump blamed others for the overwhelming blue wave Tuesday night.
“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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