Fact Check: Did Trump claim he has always been a Democrat after midterm defeat?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the massive Democratic victory in the midterm elections, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms alleging that President Donald Trump claimed that he has always been a Democrat. The claim has sparked mixed reactions online, garnering mockery and criticism, with many calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump claims he has always been a Democrat
The rumor surfaced as a post on Facebook, in which Trump claimed that he has always been a Democrat.
The claim came with an image of the president along with an overlay text stating, “‘What a win!’ Says Jubilant Donald Trump, claiming he’s always been a Democrat.”
The claim has also spread on other platforms, including X and Threads, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and drawing mixed reactions from netizens. While many believe it is an authentic post by Trump, others called it fake and called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
The claim is false, as pointed out by online users, as there is no evidence that Trump has said he has always been a Democrat, following the GOP loss in the midterms.
There are no new statements, announcements, press conferences, or social media posts from the 80-year-old president in this regard.
If Trump had really claimed that he has always been a Democrat, prominent media outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines. A search on Google and other search engines for the quote yielded no relevant results except for the online posts sharing the claim.
Additionally, the claim was posted by a Facebook account called ‘NewsThump’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire or parody.’
Setback for Donald Trump after Democrats flip key seats
The claim surfaced after Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress in the midterms, flipping a number of the traditionally Republican Senate seats in states that Trump won in 2024.
The results are seen as a major setback for Trump, who had been touring the country in the final weeks of the election, endorsing the Republicans to maintain their congressional majorities.
The Democrats flipped seats in South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and Iowa, giving them significantly more leverage to oppose the president's agenda over the remaining two years of his term.
“We'll work with the Democrats, and we'll, you know, look forward to working with them. We'll probably work something out,” Trump said about the results.
