A bunker mentality increasingly appeared to be taking hold in Washington as journalists were not allowed into the watch party.
Key takeaways
Despite Democratic midterm gains, the White House maintained a defiant stance, with officials blaming poor Republican candidate quality for setbacks. Trump hosted a closed-door watch party where staff dined on takeout, while journalists were excluded from the event.
- White House officials attributed potential losses to the quality of Republican candidates rather than Trump's support.
- Trump hosted cabinet members and advisers in the East Room to watch election results without press access.
- Staffers ate from The Cheesecake Factory, a move described as a dig at former President Obama's comments.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by Free Malaysia Today. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
Members of the news media wait for midterm election results in the briefing room at the White House in Washington. (EPA Images pic)WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's White House said Tuesday it was in a defiant mood despite a likely hammering in the US midterm elections - warning Democrats to "buckle up" and blaming some Republican candidates.
The 80-year-old president himself had appeared agitated before the first results even came in, posting a string of angry messages on social media lashing out at conservative broadcaster Fox News's coverage.
But after initially saying Trump was "cautiously optimistic," the mood music changed as Democrats looked increasingly likely to deal the president a bruising setback that could upend his last two years in power.
