President Trump is striking a conciliatory tone after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress, saying he believes he can work with Democrats.
Speaking with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on Thursday morning, Trump said he has not spoken with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries since Tuesday’s election.
But he said other Democrats have reached out.
“There are others – not them – but people, other Democrats, who have been calling. I have friends over there,” Trump said.
“I think we can get along. It’s good for the country if we do. The country has had enough,” he added.
The remarks mark a notable shift after a brutal night for the GOP. Democrats captured both the House and Senate and flipped longtime Republican strongholds, including Texas, Kansas and Ohio.
Trump has said he is willing to accept the election results and work with Democrats. He has also blamed the losses on the fact that he was not on the ballot, after repeatedly telling voters in the run-up to the election to pretend that he was.
The president also acknowledged that the war with Iran contributed to the GOP’s losses. Vice President JD Vance has likewise pointed to the war as a factor.
In the same conversation with Karl, Trump addressed questions about the future of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced mounting criticism over the Iran war. Trump said he has every intention of keeping Hegseth, while admitting he has received calls from people unhappy with him.
Publicly, Trump has said Hegseth is doing a very good job, and White House officials have said there are no plans to replace him. A CBS News report, however, said Trump had been asking advisers this week about whether to keep him.
Trump’s olive branch comes as Democrats prepare an aggressive agenda for the new Congress. Party leaders have vowed to launch investigations into the administration, the Trump family’s business dealings and immigration enforcement, while pushing legislation on health care costs, tariffs and the Iran war.
With Trump still in the White House, little major legislation is expected to become law over the next two years without some cooperation between the two sides.
Some Democrats, including Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, have already found narrow areas of agreement with the president, such as Trump’s plan to end roughly $4 billion in annual aid to Israel.
