Trump hand-picked Senate candidates. Republicans paid the price.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Darline Graham and U.S. President Donald Trump hold hands during a midterm election campaign rally at an event center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Oct. 29. | REUTERS

REUTERS

Nov 4, 2026

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump asked voters to pretend he was on the ballot in the midterm elections and handpicked Republican candidates in some of the country’s most consequential Senate races. By Tuesday night, voters had rejected them.

Trump-backed candidates in South Carolina, North Carolina and Texas all lost, while the president’s preferred pick trailed in early results in Michigan. The defeats handed Democrats control of the chamber and exposed the limits of Trump’s political power.

Trump has spent more than a decade reshaping the Republican Party around his MAGA movement, dictating primary matchups and pushing aside conservative figures he felt were insufficiently loyal or not aligned with his vision. Trump repeatedly favored loyalists and ideological allies over more established Republicans with stronger statewide networks and proven electoral track records, betting that his endorsement could overcome their political liabilities.

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