The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) editorial board outright called former President Donald Trump a loser on Wednesday after the anticipated “red wave” failed to materialize.
Republicans underperformed nationwide, with Trump-endorsed nominees losing or trailing in swing districts. Trump endorsed more than 400 candidates throughout the midterm cycle, making his presence known in battleground states like Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Despite Trump’s high-profile endorsements, Pennsylvania elected a Democratic governor and senator while Arizona remains to be called. Both Trump-backed candidates in Arizona trail behind their Democratic challengers.
“Trumpy Republican candidates failed at the ballot box in states that were clearly winnable,” the WSJ editorial board wrote. Looking at the Senate map, the message could not be clearer.” (RELATED: Famous Dem Strategist James Carville Says Party Should Have Lost 57 Seats But Were Saved By Trump)
The WSJ noted the Trump-backed Don Bolduc of New Hampshire lost to Sen. Maggie Hassan, 53% to 45% despite incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Sununu winning his race by 16 points. In Arizona, the Trump-endorsed Blake Masters is still trailing Sen. Mark Kelly.
“This is a state successful Gov. Doug Ducey won by 14 points in 2018,” the WSJ editorial board wrote. “Mr. Ducey could have won the Senate seat, but Mr. Trump pledged to go to war with him because Mr. Ducey refused to entertain 2020 fraud theories.”
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 08: Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits with supporters as election returns are shown on a TV screen during an election night event at Mar-a-Lago on November 08, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida.(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Mr. Trump could have stayed quiet in the final weeks of the campaign except to spend money to help his candidates. But he did little of the latter and instead staged rallies that played into Democratic hands,” the board wrote. “Mr. Trump has a perfect record of electoral defeat. The GOP was pounded in the 2018 midterms owing to his low approval rating. Mr. Trump himself lost in 2020. He then sabotaged Georgia’s 2021 runoffs by blaming party leaders for not somehow overturning his defeat.”
The WSJ editorial board did acknowledge the many successes Trump had as president, but said he “botched the 2022 elections.”
“He has led Republicans into one political fiasco after another.”
“‘We’re going to win so much,’ Mr. Trump once said, ‘that you’re going to get sick and tired of winning.’ Maybe by now Republicans are sick and tired of losing.”