U.S. President Donald Trump stated on local time yesterday (Nov. 3) that he is willing to accept the midterm election results and cooperate with the Democrats, as exit polls and projections pointed to a likely defeat for the Republican Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

According to the U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT), President Trump said in an interview with the outlet at around 10:30 p.m. yesterday, "I am entirely willing to accept the results," adding, "We will work with the Democrats, and we look forward to working with them. We'll probably be able to make some deals."

The remarks are interpreted as a de facto acknowledgment of the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections.

Within the Democratic Party, concerns had been raised that President Trump might refuse to accept the election outcome if the Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Mentioning that Republican candidate Darlin Graham lost the Senate race in South Carolina, a traditionally strong Republican stronghold, President Trump remarked, "Darlin lost. It's surprising."

He also claimed that if the candidate had been the late former Senator Lindsey Graham—the brother of candidate Darlin Graham, who passed away suddenly last July, and one of Trump's closest aides—he would have won.

On his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump posted, "I wasn't on the ballot. If I had been, we would have won by a landslide."

Amid growing concerns over a crushing defeat for the Republicans, this is seen as an attempt to shift the blame for the loss onto the party and its candidates.

A White House official also told reporters, "President Trump was not on the ballot. When he is present, it has been proven that Trump voters show up," adding, "Candidate quality also matters. President Trump campaigned for the candidates more effectively than they did themselves."

The argument implies that President Trump did his utmost through campaign support rallies, and that the candidates lost due to their own shortcomings.

As public sentiment worsened due to high inflation stemming from the war with Iran and midterm prospects turned unfavorable for the Republicans, President Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from the party and shifted responsibility onto them.