Following the Republicans’ disastrous midterm performance, some believe they’re beginning to see a different side of Donald Trump.
Now, insiders are speaking out about how the president really behaved behind closed doors on election night – and their accounts are raising more than a few eyebrows.
For a moment, Donald Trump appeared to strike a noticeably more humble tone after the Republicans’ crushing midterm defeat.
Speaking to Fox News on election night, the president admitted he was surprised by the results and even praised his political opponents.
“I’m a little bit surprised. I thought they’d do better,” he said.
He also had some unexpected praise for the Democrats, saying: “I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do. I think they did a good job. They fought hard.”
Trump even indicated that he was willing to work with the opposition, suggesting a more conciliatory approach after a bruising night for his party.
Cheesecake Factory finger food
According to the Daily Mail, Trump’s aides and political allies gathered in the White House East Room to watch the election results come in and discuss what might happen next.
The gathering reportedly included trays of Cheesecake Factory finger food, a nod to remarks recently made by former President Barack Obama.
Trump himself was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was reportedly upstairs in his private residence with chief of staff Susie Wiles and presidential aide Natalie Harp.
Another detail that reportedly stood out was who wasn’t there. First Lady Melania Trump was said to have skipped the gathering as well.
“Delusional,” one source said of the Republicans in the room. “They were delusional right until the very end.”
As frustration mounted among Trump’s allies, one White House official reportedly suggested that a major shake-up might be needed to safeguard the president’s legacy.
Meanwhile, the growing scale of the Republican losses appeared to take its toll on the atmosphere inside the White House. The mood reportedly became increasingly strained as the evening went on.
One by one, senior aides began to leave, followed by several Cabinet members. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had attended earlier in the evening, was also among those who reportedly headed out.
By the time Democrats were projected to take the House shortly before 10 p.m. Eastern time, the East Room was almost empty. Some staff members had reportedly made their way to a nearby bar in Washington, D.C.
“It’s very, very dark in the residence,” one senior official revealed about Trump’s reaction, according to Daily Mail. ”It’s a dark scene.”
Another source close to the president told the Daily Mail: ”He’s watching Fox News, barely uttering a word and paralyzed into silence.”
Points fingers after election setback
While Trump was reportedly keeping his anger to himself inside the residence, he was much more vocal on Truth Social, where he lashed out at several people and organizations he appeared to hold responsible for the results.
Among his targets was Fox News. In one of several attacks on the conservative network that evening, Trump declared: “Fox News bears responsibility for these losses.”
He also appeared to turn against Texas Governor Greg Abbott, despite having praised him just hours earlier.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He added: “We would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!”
JD Vance’s response
The president also reminded followers that he himself had not been on the ballot, even though he had urged voters ahead of the election to view the midterms as a referendum on his presidency.
Meanwhile, speculation reportedly began growing inside the White House about who might pay the price for the Republican defeat.
Two names kept coming up among officials: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
One senior official pointed to the ongoing war with Iran as a major factor behind the party’s poor performance.
“Tonight would have looked very different without the Iran War,” the official told the Daily Mail. “I believe you’ll ultimately see POTUS hold Hegseth accountable.”
At the same time, JD Vance’s response has added another twist to the Republican defeat. The vice president openly blamed the Iran war for the crushing election defeat, declaring in a lengthy statement on X: ”The reason we lost is the war.”
Many have interpreted his remarks as an attempt to distance himself from Trump, particularly as speculation grows about a possible presidential run in 2028.
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