Former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu, who lost his comeback bid Tuesday, is pointing the finger at President Trump for the Republican Party's devastating midterm losses, which handed Democrats their largest majorities in Congress in years.
In an interview on SiriusXM's "The John Kasich Show," Sununu argued that two core failures by Trump—his inability to resolve the prolonged military conflict with Iran and his broken promise to "drain the swamp"—were decisive in turning voters against Republican candidates nationwide.
"Now it seems like he or his family is on every transaction and deal that goes on in Washington," Sununu said. "Those two things, I think, caused people to say, 'You know, I just can't vote for a Republican while he's still in office.'"
Sununu's own Senate race in New Hampshire ended in a 13-point defeat to Democrat Chris Pappas, despite GOP hopes of flipping the seat. He previously represented the Granite State in the Senate from 2003 to 2009, when he lost to Jeanne Shaheen, who is now retiring.
Trump deflects blame, Vance cites war
Trump, however, has dismissed the idea that he was responsible for the GOP's poor showing, instead faulting individual candidates for failing to sell themselves. He insisted that if he had been on the ballot, the outcome would have been far different.
"I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" Trump wrote on Truth Social as returns showed a blue wave sweeping the country.
Vice President Vance offered a different explanation on Wednesday, attributing the losses primarily to the ongoing war with Iran. "The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance posted on social media. He challenged critics to argue whether the cost of losing the Senate for six years was worth it, but insisted that any honest assessment must begin with the conflict.
Corruption allegations also weighed on voters
Some Republican strategists privately acknowledge that Democratic attacks on Trump's family business dealings and broader corruption allegations within his administration also moved voters. Those concerns, they say, compounded the political damage from the Iran crisis.
Sununu warned that the midterm results would have lasting consequences for potential 2028 presidential aspirants, including Vance. "The closer you are to the president, the worse a night it was for you as a potential presidential candidate," he said.
AOC's future moves
Sununu also predicted that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) would likely test the waters for a presidential run in the next cycle, not necessarily because she believes she can win, but because it would boost her political brand.
"Some people run for president because they really think they can win and that they'll be a great leader and an important leader for the country. Some people run for president because it's good for their business model," Sununu said. "And I put AOC in the latter category. So, will she test the waters and go through the kabuki? One hundred percent. Because her business model is built around followers and attention."
The Republican post-mortem is likely to intensify as the party grapples with the scale of its defeat, with voters delivering a stinging rebuke to Trump and the GOP. Meanwhile, Democrats are preparing to use their new congressional majorities to check Trump's agenda with real legislative power.
