Trump’s midterm election denialism sparks fierce backlash from both sides: ‘Figured it would take a few days’

President Donald Trump drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum after questioning the integrity of the midterm elections.On Monday, six days after Democrats reclaimed the House and Senate, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???”The post marked a reversal from his initial response to Republicans’ midterm losses, when he congratulated Democrats, faulted weak GOP candidates and told The New York Times: “I am absolutely willing to accept those results, yeah.”While politicians and pundits condemned the remarks, many saw them as a predictable return to his longstanding allegations of election fraud. Trump has repeatedly and baselessly claimed the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” and has continued to undermine confidence in U.S. elections throughout his second term.“Our fave election denier is back,” Jessica Tarlov, a liberal Fox News commentator wrote on X. President Donald Trump's remarks casting doubt on the integrity of the midterm elections sparked backlash from politicians and pundits across the spectrum (Getty Images)“There's our guy - figured it would take a few days for the reality of the electoral annihilation to slip through Natalie's gatekeeping and reach Trump,” wrote Jon Favreau, former speechwriter to Barack Obama and host of Pod Save America. He was referencing Natalie Harp, the president’s executive assistant.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the favorite to become majority leader, dismissed Trump’s claims and pointed to the scale of Democrats’ victories. As of Monday, they were projected to win 54 Senate seats to Republicans’ 44 and 253 House seats to the GOP’s 160, with some races still uncalled.“Donald Trump’s pathetic return to election denialism was inevitable,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X. “He can whine all he wants, but nothing will stop this inescapable truth: For the last two years of his presidency, Trump will face the largest Democratic congressional majorities in decades, all because he has been an unprecedented failure.”Rep. Norma Torres, a California Democrat, added: “You lost to American citizens who rejected your nonsense. Pack it up.”Even everyday people commenting on social media took shots at the president for the flip-flop. “Here we go again. Surprised it took a week,” commentator Katherine Brodsky wrote. “The election is only honest whenever he wins.”“The election denial stuff is one of the things that will forever taint his legacy (in the eyes of future historians). I asked Grok to rank the US Presidents. It put Trump in the bottom 5/45, for things like this,” Fellow X user named David noted. “‘Houston, the Ego has landed.’ Okay, let's face it. We all knew it was just a matter of time,” X poster Donald R. Koelper stated. And now, off we go into the abyss of denialism, where any and all election results are fraudulent unless, of course, he either wins or approves. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.‘Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???’ Trump wrote on Monday (@realdonaldtrump, Truth Social)‘Our fave election denier is back,’ a Fox pundit proclaimed (Getty Images)The criticism extended to some conservatives, including former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who repeatedly echoed Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election before falling out with him over the Iran war.“For anyone who believes his bull****, ask yourself, has he ever prosecuted ANYONE from the 2020 election??? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” she wrote on X. “Ask yourself honestly. Why hasn’t Trump, the President of the United States, with control of the DOJ, prosecuted anyone from the 2020 election?”Greene instead blamed the Republican losses on voters disillusioned with Trump and his party.“The real truth for the 2026 midterms is that something like 14 million Trump/Republican voters stayed home because, for multiple issues, they couldn’t support Trump and Republicans anymore,” she wrote. “His ego and pride are hurt and he knows the big Democrat victory is 100 percent on him.”Daniel Horowitz, a senior editor at the conservative outlet The Blaze, also weighed in: “Look, at some point con inc. will have to recognize the choke hold they've ensnared themselves in.”MAGA podcaster and Trump backer Megyn Kelly simply put: “Just Stop.”