Ted Cruz Calls Midterm Defeat a “Watergate-Level Repudiation,” Blames Tariffs and Iran War

Sen. Ted Cruz delivered a blistering assessment of the Republican Party’s disastrous midterm election performance Wednesday, describing the losses as a “Watergate-level repudiation” and arguing that President Trump’s tariffs, the continuing war with Iran, and widespread frustration over the cost of living drove voters away from GOP candidates.

The Texas Republican offered his assessment in an extensive statement posted on X, warning that his party must acknowledge the magnitude of its defeat rather than attribute the results to insufficient voter participation.

“2026 was not simply a blue wave; it was a blue tsunami. It was an ass kicking. It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election. It was a Watergate-level repudiation,” Cruz wrote.

Cruz rejected the suggestion that Republicans lost because their supporters stayed home, arguing instead that many voters who ordinarily favor conservative candidates actively chose Democrats.

“When all the votes were counted, the problem wasn’t turnout. Instead, our voters, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, showed up and voted, and rejected our candidates, voting Democrat instead,” he wrote.

According to Cruz, the dominant issue influencing voters was the rising cost of everyday necessities, a concern he believes Republican leaders failed to address convincingly.

He said the public was increasingly frustrated by household expenses, while “too many Republican politicians seem like they didn’t understand or they didn’t care.”

The senator also broke sharply with two major components of Trump’s agenda, criticizing the administration’s trade policies and its handling of the military conflict with Iran.

“Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long,” Cruz wrote. “It should have been brief, decisive, and over. It needs to end, and we should never, under any circumstances, give the Ayatollah billions of dollars.”

Cruz’s remarks reflected growing Republican concerns about the political consequences of the administration’s economic and foreign policies following an election in which Democrats captured control of both chambers of Congress.

At the same time, Cruz warned that the Democratic victories could produce sweeping changes in Washington, including initiatives involving taxation, energy production, immigration enforcement, and transgender policies.

He also predicted “open persecution, and nonstop retaliation” targeting Trump, members of the president’s family, administration officials, and prominent business figures, including Elon Musk.

“Make no mistake. Nationally, the radicals are in charge. The communists and the Islamists who have taken over the Democrat Party have now taken over the United States Congress. They will be unleashed,” Cruz wrote.

Cruz said he intends to resist Democratic proposals he believes would damage the economy, weaken border security, or threaten constitutional protections, while remaining open to bipartisan cooperation on issues where agreement is possible.

He pledged to “work with Democrats when they’re willing to be reasonable.”

The senator was particularly alarmed by the election results in Texas, where Republicans lost every statewide contest, including Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection race and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s bid for the U.S. Senate.

Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott, while James Talarico won the Senate seat, ending more than three decades of Republican control of that office. Cruz, whose own Senate term runs through 2030, acknowledged that the results represented a historic political reversal in his home state.

Cruz said he had personally contacted Talarico to congratulate him and expressed hope that they could cooperate on matters affecting Texas.

Nevertheless, he promised vigorous opposition to policies he believes would undermine the state’s economic prosperity or public safety.

“If the newly elected radicals push policies that hurt Texas, raising taxes, destroying jobs, opening the border, releasing violent criminals, threatening our children, undermining our constitutional rights, I will fight with all of my strength to defend Texas and to defend the Constitution,” he wrote.