Tuesday’s midterm elections were supposed to be the prelude to Donald Trump‘s big comeback as both a political kingmaker and the 2024 Republican frontrunner for President of the United States.
Instead, more than a dozen of his handpicked candidates lost their races, including his most high profile selection, Dr. Oz, which ultimately cost the GOP a seat in the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.
To add insult to injury, the one Republican who Trump criticized, Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis, sailed to reelection in Florida with nearly 60% of the vote. (Ugh.)
Related: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wins reelection campaign
A source close to the ex-president’s camp tells ABC News: “This was the end of the Trump era and the dawn of the DeSantis era. Like every other Trump catastrophe, he did this to himself with stupid and reckless decisions.”
The New York Post, Trump’s favorite newspaper, second only, perhaps, to the National Enquirer, seems to agree, as evidenced by yesterday’s front page:
Today's cover: Ron DeSantis shows he’s future of the GOP https://t.co/Ja9rO579r4 pic.twitter.com/9Px1KBH1MP
— New York Post (@nypost) November 9, 2022
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal editorial board declared him the GOP’s “biggest loser” in an editorial published yesterday that posed the question: “What will Democrats do when Donald Trump isn’t around to lose elections?”
Trump held an Election Night watch party at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday. According to people at the event, it was a “subdued” affair where the 76-year-old appeared “uneasy” and even “shocked” at times as he watched the results trickle in.
Afterwards, he called it an “interesting evening” before sending his guests home so he could, presumably, hurl ketchup all over the place.
Since then, the ex-president has been pointing fingers at all but himself for his party’s losses.
He’s reportedly furious at everyone from his top political aides, who he feels misguided and misled him, to Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity, who he feels pressured him to make unwise endorsements, to former first lady Melania Trump, who he blames for Dr. Oz’s loss in Pennsylvania.
According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, he’s now calling his wife’s recommendation that he endorse Oz as “not her best decision.”
Trump is indeed furious this morning, particularly about Mehmet Oz, and is blaming everyone who advised him to back Oz — including his wife, describing it as not her best decision, according to people close to him.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 9, 2022
Trump is–or, ugh, was–expected to announce another run for the White House next week after teasing a “very big announcement on Tuesday, November 15″ during a rally in Ohio this past Monday.
But after Tuesday’s disappointing midterm results and the criticism he’s now receiving from conservative media outlets and members of his own party, the New York Times now reports:
Among Republican operatives who have been open to working with another Trump presidential campaign, a handful said they were reconsidering. That could present a challenge for Mr. Trump, who has a handful of trusted advisers but almost no one yet staffing key aspects of a campaign-in-waiting.
Now, some tweets…
The biggest election day loser was… DONALD TRUMP! pic.twitter.com/8AfVP7O6bM
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) November 10, 2022
Donald Trump is blaming Melania for telling him to back Dr. Oz. You can't make this stuff up. ?
— Devin Duke, PhD (@sirDukeDevin) November 9, 2022
What we are learning from the US midterm elections:
1. Donald Trump is finished (thank goodness)
2. Elon Musk has no influence
3. When young people vote, good things happen
4. Dr. Oz remains a tool— Ubaka Ogbogu (@UbakaOgbogu) November 9, 2022
Donald Trump is the biggest loser in American history. Pass it on.
— Republicans against Trumpism (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 10, 2022
Seeing Donald Trump completely cucked by Ron DeSantis on the world stage is a sight to behold.
— ?????? ????????? (@mk_indy) November 10, 2022
And Donald Trump thought these midterms would be his big victory lap, before announcing his presidential run.
Hahaha.
— [email protected] (@MSignorile) November 9, 2022
That it took a shitty midterm and not a deadly insurrection for the Republican Party to finally walk away from donald trump tells you everything you need to know about them.
— Jo ? (@JoJoFromJerz) November 10, 2022
The backlash against Donald Trump is a beautiful thing to behold, but as a fervent narcissist, he'll find someone else to blame.
In fact, he just blamed Melania for having him endorse Dr. Oz.
He threw another wife under the bus. Shocker.
— Brian O'Sullivan (@osullivanauthor) November 10, 2022
FUN FACT: The biggest loser in American politics in both 2020 and 2022 has been Donald Trump.
— Justin Horwitz (@JustinAHorwitz) November 9, 2022
Donald Trump is in a corner wiping away tears and snot with he's tiny hands
He's finished
??— ???COCA??? (@Coca44791276) November 9, 2022
Related: Tennessee bans slavery, Lindsey Graham is butthurt, and other wild takeaways from the 2022 midterms
abfab
Who did those ketchup bottles!!!!!!! I just fell off my chair again!
still_onthemark
Dr. Oz says Trumpy just needs to take “miracle” raspberry ketones and fat-burning green coffee bean extract, he’ll lose 50 pounds and three dress sizes!
greekboy
The house that oz bought in Pa so he could fulfil residency requirements was owned by some religious group, and one of the codicils to the sale is they have the first right of refusal if he decides to sell. Yeah, ok now, does that sound fishy to anyone other than me. I’ll bet you a cookie he sells it back to them in a heartbeat, as he flees back to NJ
GlobeTrotter
The only reason Trump wants to run for the presidency is to keep his ass out of prison. Except for the power and perks, he cares NOTHING for the job whatsoever. All that anger we’re reading about is just his misdirected fear of now having nothing to prevent him from going to jail.
Re DeSantis, be afraid…be VERY afraid! DeSantis is young, charismatic, good-looking, eloquent, and unlike Trump, VERY intelligent. If he becomes the GOP nominee for president, may the gods help us! Imagine an old, frail, sleepy, bumbling Joe Biden next to a virile, proud and supremely confident Ron DeSantis in his prime. It’ll be a bloodbath!
Jeremiah
“Good looking”. Umm, I couldn’t disagree more. Bad hair on top of a pumpkin sized head and those miniature evil looking eyes. No thanks.
Kangol2
You’re mostly right about DeSatan (virile? uh, take a powder!), who is clearly smart, well-spoken (at times), highly educated (Yale and Harvard, so much for the GQP’s hatred of “elites,” and somewhat charismatic–it has zero effect on me but definitely on others), but…
DeSatan also is extremely whiny. I’m not sure if anyone else finds DeSatan’s nasally, high-pitched voice grating, but it’s a close contest between Don the Con’s weird voice mannerisms and DeSatan’s endless whining! It’s almost unbearable!
abfab
And Kangol2, not only is he a big whiny gas bag but in between every sentence or 2 he does one of those super annoying MMMM-KAY! or OKAY?
That! And his facial expressions…like he just cut a big fart and he’s kinda enjoying it. He squints a lot, trying to look like Clint Eastwood. What made him into such a rotten human being? Oh that’s right….GOD. He’s a gift from god. THANK GOD.
bachy
American right-wing cable news and digital media company Newsmax is almost solely responsible for the ongoing success of the GOP in Florida, in a manner similar to the way Fox News underwrote the Trump sh|tshow in 2016.
My FL friends tell me everyone down there watches it. Dems need to find a way to pull the f*king plug on fake news / brainwash / propaganda machines like Newsmax if they want to restore some semblance of sanity to the American populace.
LumpyPillows
While I disagree with your negative assessment of Biden – he’s doing very well as President, I do find DeSantis trouble as well. The great thing about Trump was his incompetence – it stopped him from succeeding at completely destroy the planet. DeSantis is not incompetent. How smart is actually still to be proven.
I am hoping Biden, as much as I love him for saving us from Trump, bows out in 2024 – strictly based on his age. Reality sucks.
GayEGO
Ha ha ha! Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall! He continues to lose as he falls into the Trump Dump!
RoughRugger
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m 1000% here for the Mango Manbaby looking like the fool he is, but let’s not kid ourselves: DeSantis is WORLDS worse. He’s openly & actively anti-LGBTQ (Drumpf at least PRETENDED to be pro-the-gays), he’s DECADES younger (so he’s not going away anytime soon), he’s got the GQP establishment backing that the Tangerine Toddler could only pitch tantrums about, and as many unforced errors as RDS has made, he’s INFINITELY more competent & politically savvy than Velveeta Voldemort.
Drumpf was his own worst enemy whose rank incompetence hamstrung many/most of his own worst impulses & grotesques attempts at policy and who accordingly saved us from the damage that could-have-been with his bumbling…we won’t have that luxury if DeathSantis ever slimes his way into the Oval Office. Candidate/nominee Drumpf would all but guarantee a second term for Biden; nominee DeSantis will be a FAR steeper hill for Uncle Joe to climb.
MISTERJETT
i’m no fan of desantis, but if it works against tumbleweed head, than two thumbs up.
Jeremiah
Spot on, yup
Den
DeSantis will be much worse for the country than Trump could possibly have been. If it is necessary for democrats to deny the nomination in order to find a candidate who can beat DeSantis, they’d best do it!
MISTERJETT
tumbleweed head will blame everyone but himself. what a creep!!!!
Fname Optional Lname
tumbleweed head!
He literally said if the people he endorsed win he should get all the credit and if they lose he should not be to blame. His level of delusion is record breaking.
stonercharles
Melanomas’ worst decision was marrying a Loser like you DJT… I am sure She’d agree
abfab
LOL
Mamasmelons has more than just bats in her belfry.
IanHunter
Wasting perfectly good ketchup, and money he doesn’t have.
Rugby8
STOP TALKING ABOUT ORANGE HAIR!!!!!
Ypu are giving him a platform.
IGNORE HIM AND HIS IDIOCY.
HE EXISTS BECAUSE OF MEDIA COVERAGE
…..fools
cuteguy
WSJ is right, who are the Dems going to depend on if Trump doesn’t lose elections. Deathsantis is dangerous and needs to be stopped but of course that banana republic aka Florida would re elect him. We are all in trouble if Deathsantis continues to gain momentum. We need Gavin Newsom quick. Biden is too old
LumpyPillows
What we need is for democrats to create a platform that resonates with the majority of Americans, stops pandering to every crazy left-wing idea and sticks to the script. Then we would be unstoppable. We would not have to depend on a candidate to compensate for the mistakes in messaging the democrats always make, as Biden so skillfully did.
Yes, Biden is a hero, but his time is up. Newsome? Perhaps.
abfab
MAGA, the Tea Party and the rascist and homophobic republican party, Twitter, Meta, The Church, LOG CABIN twits, bigots……all going down the drain. We shall overcome. Again.
LumpyPillows
You underestimate the devil and his minions, I fear.