Trump Refuses to ‘Clean House’ Even as Republicans Urge Him to Reset After Midterm Loss

Republicans are urging President Donald Trump to overhaul his White House and reconsider the policies they blame for a bruising midterm defeat, as Democratic victories leave him facing a hostile Congress and fresh questions about his influence over the party.

The demands for change followed an election that handed Democrats both congressional chambers and delivered losses to Trump-backed candidates in key contests. Republican allies and strategists pointed to the Iran war, tariffs and the president's priorities as liabilities requiring attention, Reuters reported.

Veteran Republican strategist John Feehery described the outcome as a "huge disaster" and called for a personnel shake-up. "He needs to clean house," Feehery told the outlet. "Every day from this point forward, he's becoming more and more lame."

However, Trump offered a different assessment, telling Fox News that he doesn't view the midterm results "as a hit on me," late Tuesday. Vice President JD Vance, widely viewed as a potential successor, blamed the Iran war for the Republican losses Wednesday. His comments suggested that even figures closely associated with Trump could begin separating their political futures from decisions made during his presidency.

The conflict has become a central issue in the party's reckoning. Trump acknowledged Tuesday that the eight-month-old war had damaged Republican candidates, while continuing to defend his decision to launch it.

Inside the administration, the prospect of a reset was accompanied by anxiety about who might leave. A senior White House official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said aides were preparing for staff departures, potential Cabinet changes and Democratic investigations.

"It absolutely sucks to be here right now," the official said. "Morale is as low as it can get." According to that official, internal polling had indicated six weeks before Election Day that Republicans were on course to lose both chambers. The official said Trump resisted advice to change his approach to Iran despite warnings about the electoral consequences.

"Ultimately, he just didn't care," the official told Reuters. "He refused to listen to anyone." Republican frustration also extended to the president's attention to construction and renovation projects.

A Republican political adviser told Reuters that focus groups in competitive Senate battlegrounds, including Michigan and Iowa, revealed growing objections among Republican and independent voters to Trump's emphasis on a White House ballroom and Washington renovations.

The president nevertheless brought reporters to the ballroom construction site Wednesday and defended his involvement. "For me it's relaxing," Trump said. The White House reinforced that defiant posture with a social media photograph of the president accompanied by the message: "PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT."

Democratic control will create obstacles when the new Congress takes office. The party will be positioned to block legislation, scrutinize administration decisions and challenge presidential nominees, increasing pressure on Trump to pursue his priorities through executive action.

Reuters previously reported that White House officials had spent months developing executive measures covering immigration, tariffs, housing and federal spending in anticipation of a possible Republican defeat.

Those preparations could help Trump advance parts of his agenda without congressional approval. They cannot eliminate the oversight powers Democrats will gain, or the demands such inquiries could place on administration officials.