Former Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Wednesday listed off reasons he thought his party failed in this year’s midterms, in which Democrats won both the House and Senate.
“Bad policy, bad character make bad politics: erratic tariffs, impulsive Iran war, blanket pardons, apparent corruption, weaponized justice, ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] brutality, mountainous deficits, hiding [Jeffrey] Epstein, abandoning allies and coddling enemies,” Romney said in a Wednesday afternoon post on the social platform X.
“Hoping for a course correction, for the country and for my party,” he added.
Romney, who made his own presidential bid in 2012, has historically been a critic of President Trump. He was also the lone GOP senator to vote to convict Trump in both of his impeachment proceedings.
In their quest to hold on to the House and Senate this year, Republicans faced hurdles like the unpopular war in Iran, concerns about the cost of living and Trump’s approval rating. However, the congressional map went blue Tuesday, with Democrats taking both congressional chambers.
Democrats are projected to end up with 261 seats in the House, according to Decision Desk HQ, up from their current total of 214. In the Senate, they’re projected to finish with 55 seats, up from the 47 they have in the 119th Congress.
Romney wasn’t the only Republican critic of his party in the wake of the 2026 midterm returns. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said in a Tuesday night post on X that the midterm blowout by Democrats was “about holding Republicans accountable for betraying their promises.”
“Tonight’s outcome isn’t about placing faith in Democrats or socialist principles; it’s about holding Republicans accountable for betraying their promises,” Massie said on X.
“All Republicans had to do was: 1. put Americans First 2. not start another war 3. prosecute sex traffickers,” he added.
