As Democratic gains reshape the US Congress, the White House issued a PSA reminding Americans that Donald Trump remains President, while key Republican losses in Texas signal a major political shift in the wake of the 2026 midterm elections.
White House Reaffirms Presidential Status Amid Midterm Results
As the 2026 US midterm election results unfold in the favour of Democrats, the White House has shared a pointed public service announcement (PSA), reminding Americans that Donald Trump continues to hold the presidency regardless of the outcome of the congressional elections. In a post on X on Wednesday (local time), the White House shared an image of Trump carrying the caption, "PSA: Trump is still your President", accompanied by the message, "Thank you for your attention to this matter." The post appeared amid the unfolding midterm results, which will determine the composition of the US Congress and could reshape the political landscape during Trump's presidency. With the PSA-style message, the White House drew attention to the distinction between the midterm elections, which determine congressional representation, and the presidential term, which is not up for election in 2026. Thank you for your attention to this matter. https://t.co/Q1ZGYM7idV — The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 4, 2026
Trump Responds to Election Setbacks and Texas Results
Criticism of Governor Greg Abbott
Earlier, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to single out three-term Texas Governor Greg Abbott after Abbott suffered a shocking defeat to Democratic State Representative Gina Hinojosa. Refusing to accept that broad national pushback played a primary role, Trump lashed out at Abbott, attributing the loss to what he claimed was Abbott’s late pivot away from the core "MAGA" agenda. "If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost. He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!" wrote Trump. The term RINO stands for "Republican In Name Only." Originally popularised in the 1990s by conservative factions to describe moderate Republicans, the label has been heavily repurposed in recent years by Donald Trump and the populist wing of the Republican Party. Today, "RINO" is routinely deployed as a political weapon against GOP officials seen as failing to demonstrate unyielding loyalty to Trump's policies, expressing hesitation over controversial executive orders, or seeking bipartisan consensus with Democrats. In labelling Abbott a "RINO," Trump signalled that Abbott's recent policy pivots, including attempts to moderate his tone on key issues to appeal to suburban swing voters, had alienated the conservative base and led directly to his downfall.
Democratic Breakthrough in Texas
This comes as Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott to become the first Latina governor of Texas, ending more than three decades of Republican dominance in the state's gubernatorial office. CBS News also projected Hinojosa's victory, reporting that Abbott had called to concede after losing his re-election bid. With 67 per cent of the votes counted, Hinojosa secured 3,994,529 votes, accounting for 57.1 per cent, while Abbott received 2,915,910 votes, or 41.7 per cent, according to CBS News. The 52-year-old state lawmaker and attorney will become the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990 and only the third woman to hold the office. Hinojosa, who represents an Austin district and is originally from Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley, defeated Abbott, who had been seeking a fourth term after serving as governor since 2015.
The Democratic breakthrough extended to the Texas Senate race, where James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, according to CBS News projections. With 58 per cent of ballots counted, Talarico had secured 58.1 per cent of the vote, against Paxton's 40.4 per cent. Following his victory, Talarico posted "Texas forever" on X. Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator, former public school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, is set to become the first Democrat to represent Texas in the US Senate since 1993, as well as the first to secure a statewide election victory in the state since 1994. The crucial Senate seat opened up following a bruising Republican primary battle in which Donald Trump threw his weight behind Ken Paxton, successfully unseating long-time incumbent Senator John Cornyn, who had held the position since 2002.
Delivering a triumphant acceptance speech following his historic victory, Talarico drew upon biblical imagery to frame his campaign's underdog battle against a formidable opponent. Addressing an ecstatic crowd of supporters in Austin, he likened his political challenge to the classic encounter between David and Goliath, taking direct aim at Republican mega-donors and the entrenched political establishment in the nation's capital. “We just took back Texas,” Talarico proclaimed to roaring applause from the crowd. The developments in Texas are particularly significant, as Democrats have not won a statewide election in the state in more than three decades, making the results a notable departure from its recent Republican electoral record.
National Impact of Midterm Results
Democrats made significant electoral gains in the November 3 midterm elections, with US networks projecting that the party had secured control of both chambers of Congress, ending the Republican hold over the House and Senate. The projected victory could put Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on course to become the first African American Speaker of the House, although he would need to secure the necessary votes when the new Congress convenes in January. A Democratic-controlled House would give the party greater authority to scrutinise the Trump administration, initiate congressional investigations and challenge the President's legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his term.
Reacting to the Republican setbacks, US President Donald Trump sought to distance himself from the election results, claiming that his absence from the ballot had affected the party's performance. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "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. President DONALD J. TRUMP." The results across Texas, Kansas and Iowa, alongside Democratic advances in other Senate contests and the projected takeover of the House, have brought a series of electoral changes into focus. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
