Blaming Media and Candidates... Trump's Photo Posted After Promising "Cooperation"

[Anchor]

President Trump placed the blame for the election defeat on the media and Republican candidates while drawing a line away from his own responsibility. He also sent mixed signals, initially pledging cooperation with the Democrats only to turn around and threaten to counter them with vetoes.

Reporter Jeong Seong-jin has the details.

[Reporter]

Anticipating an election defeat ahead of the midterm vote counting, President Trump vented his frustration on his social media account.

Targeting the pro-Republican Fox News, he complained that he "hated the host's voice," publicly criticizing them every hour by claiming that "polls were always the worst" and that "ratings dropped 27 percent because they opposed me."

He also avoided responsibility for the election loss by claiming that he would have won by a landslide had he been on the ballot.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President (Fox News DEMOCRACY 26): I wasn't on the ballot. If I was on the ballot, they (supporters) definitely would have shown up.]

Then, as the Democrats' victory in the House of Representatives solidified, President Trump said in a phone interview with The New York Times that he was fully willing to accept the election results and was prepared to cooperate with the Democrats.

However, about an hour later, he posted a photo on social media of a red hat bearing the word "VETO."

With the Democrats all but certain to secure majorities in both the House and the Senate, Trump signaled once again that he intends to confront the Democrats by exercising his veto power.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President (Fox News DEMOCRACY 26): The veto is one of the most powerful authorities a president has. I will veto the Democrats' ridiculous bills. Then the Democrats will call and ask, "How can we get these things done?", and we will work together.]

President Trump reportedly watched the election broadcasts at the White House alongside top aides, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, and Commerce Secretary Lutnick. The New York Times quoted an attendee as saying that the atmosphere in the White House at the time felt like a "funeral."

(Camera Cops: Jeil | Video Editing: Kim Kyung-yeon | Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.