‘Does Anybody Really Believe This Election Was Honest?’ Trump Questions Midterm Results

US President Donald Trump has questioned the legitimacy of the midterm election results, reviving claims of electoral fraud that he repeatedly made after losing the 2020 presidential election.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump questioned why pre-election polls had failed to predict the scale of Democratic victories and alleged that large batches of early votes had made it impossible for Republican candidates to win.

"Does anybody really believe that this 'Election' was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???" Trump wrote.

"Some early voting 'dumps' were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people went to vote. It's all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!" he added.

Trump Changes Tone After Initially Congratulating Democrats

The post marked a shift from Trump's relatively conciliatory response to the Republican losses. After the results emerged last Tuesday, he congratulated Democrats, saying they had done a "good job".

He also told reporters that he did not consider the outcome a personal defeat because he had not been on the ballot.

Democrats Make Gains, Republicans Suffer Setbacks

In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said he was "absolutely willing" to accept the election results. However, he had qualified that position in remarks last month, saying he would accept the outcome "if they're honest elections".

Republicans suffered significant setbacks across the country, including in states traditionally considered their strongholds. Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress, dealing a major blow to Trump's political standing midway through his term.

Trump Revives 2020 Election Fraud Claims

Trump's latest Truth Social post echoes his response to the 2020 presidential election, when he repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that widespread ballot fraud had cost him victory against Joe Biden.

Those allegations were followed by dozens of unsuccessful legal challenges to election procedures and culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump's supporters.