Trump Blames GOP’s Handling of ‘Abortion Issue’ for Lackluster Midterms: ‘It Wasn’t My Fault’

Former President Donald Trump bragged about his endorsement record and blamed the “abortion issue” after Republicans underperformed in the 2022 midterms.

Trump began 2023 Sunday on a tear against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and voters he said “disappeared” after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It was not clear why Trump chose the holiday to dissect the November elections, but on New Year’s Day, he posted on his social media platform:

It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t live up to expectations in the MidTerms. I was 233-20! It was the “abortion issue,” poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters.

Also, the people that pushed so hard, for decades, against abortion, got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court, & just plain disappeared, not to be seen again. Plus, Mitch stupid $’s!

Trump-backed candidates lost Senate races in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Trump has taken a bruising from his own side of the aisle since the GOP failed to take advantage of a map that was viewed as favorable to Republicans.

Last summer, McConnell warned the party might fail to take the Senate, citing what he called a problem with “candidate quality.”

“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell accurately predicted last August.

Exit polling found abortion was a top issue for many midterm voters.