Donald Trump has cast doubt on the honesty of the 2026 midterm elections, just days after saying he was willing to accept the results. Democrats won control of both the House and Senate on November 3, delivering a major setback to Republicans. On election night, Trump told The New York Times he would accept the outcome and hoped to work with Democrats, but his position soon changed.

On Monday, Trump questioned the results in a Truth Social post, asking how the polls could have been so wrong. He also claimed that unusually large batches of early votes made victory impossible and suggested voting machines mattered more than voters. However, he provided no evidence of fraud. Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar dismissed the allegations as completely false.

Trump also shared charts suggesting Democrats had gained millions of votes suddenly. But large increases can occur when election officials release batches of counted ballots, and the 2026 midterms reportedly recorded the second-highest turnout for a midterm election in more than a century. In a 60 Minutes interview, Trump acknowledged that his immigration crackdown may have hurt him politically, while also pointing to higher gasoline prices linked to the war in Iran.

Meanwhile, some critics have raised Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, a constitutional provision allowing a president to be declared unable to perform the duties of office. It requires action by the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet, with Congress involved if the president challenges the decision. The provision has never been used since the amendment was ratified in 1967.