President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the continuing government shutdown was to blame for the large Democratic victories in Tuesday’s New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial elections, while arguing that voters did not reject him personally.

Speaking at a breakfast of Senate Republicans, Trump, citing unidentified “pollsters,” called the government shutdown a “big factor, negative for the Republicans.”

Trump also noted that he wasn’t on the ballot, suggesting that Republican voters turn out in larger numbers to vote for him, but not necessarily for other Republican candidates.

Speaking later Wednesday in Miami at the America Business Forum, Trump continued to rail against New York City and Democrats for electing a “communist” to the mayor’s office. He suggested that the victory by Zohran Mamdani — who is a democratic socialist, not a communist — was a warning for the country. Trump endorsed Mamdani’s main opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination to Mamdani.

“After last night’s results, the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear,” he said. “We have a choice between communism and common sense.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger, a former member of Congress from Virginia with a similar national security background, won decisive victories in governors’ races Tuesday, a major test of the mood of the electorate in Trump’s second term.

Recent polling has shown that support for Trump’s agenda was weakening and many voters believed the country was on the wrong path.

During his remarks, Trump lamented that there had been little backlash against Democrats, who initiated the government shutdown to try to force Republicans to extend health care subsidies.

“I don’t think they’re getting really the blame that they should,” he said.

Trump said Tuesday’s elections were “not expected to be a victory” for Republicans because they were in heavily Democratic areas, but he acknowledged that it was not a positive outcome for his party.

“I don’t think it was good for Republicans. I’m not sure it was good for anybody,” Trump said. “But we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot, and we’re going to talk about that.”

At the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that Tuesday’s Republican defeats should not be read as a broader repudiation of the party.

“I don’t think the loss last night was any reflection about Republicans at all. I think people are frustrated and angry, as we are, I am, the president is,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to a great election running on our record.”

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Luke Broadwater and Erica L. Green/Haiyun Jiang
c. 2025 The New York Times Company