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MAGA turns on Trump: JD Vance and even Don Jr blame President's Iran War debacle for poll wipeout that's left him a lame duck

MAGA turns on Trump: JD Vance and even Don Jr blame President's Iran War debacle for poll wipeout that's left him a lame duck

The daggers were out for Donald Trump following a crushing election defeat.

His deputy and his own son blamed the President's war in Iran for a Republican rout at the hands of voters.

In a series of seismic shocks, the rival Democrats seized control of the US Congress in the mid-term ballots.

Voters passed a damning verdict on Mr Trump, having become enraged by high inflation and rising fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East that has caused global shocks. Vice-President JD Vance issued a brutal post mortem of Republican Party losses – as he eyes a presidential run in 2028.

Top Republicans and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) faithful also rounded on the President, branding the wipeout a 'disaster of the first magnitude' as he faces seeing his agenda crippled in his final two years in office.

'The reason we lost is the war,' Mr Vance said in a lengthy post on social media, adding 'many people who voted for' Mr Trump in 2024 had turned their backs on him.

He also attacked supporters of the war, which has cost the US more than £35billion and shows no sign of resolution.

'If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so,' Mr Vance wrote.

President Trump shrugged off the complaints during a rambling speech in front of the cameras, as he ignored his party's midterm battering

Instead, he decided to sign one of the last beams used to build the new ballroom

Vice President JD Vance broke his silence about the midterm elections on Wednesday

'Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.

'But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.'

The President's oldest child, Don Jr, joined in, siding with 'every word' of the VP's criticism as he shared it online.

His father simply shrugged off the complaints during a rambling speech in front of the cameras, as he all but ignored his party's midterm battering.

Instead, he focused on his White House vanity project to build a $400million (£300million) ballroom, leading to furious criticism in Washington that he was 'tone deaf' and 'ignoring the American people' struggling to pay their bills.

Amid mounting pressure, Mr Trump was forced to concede that Mr Vance's analysis had been 'largely true', adding: 'It drove the gasoline up a little bit – short term – and probably that's true.'

But he remained defiant about attacking Tehran, insisting it had been 'worth it'. He added: 'If I had to do it again, I'd have to do it again because long term, that's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon.'

The Vice-President's intervention came as the Republicans continued to lick their wounds. The Grand Old Party was engulfed by a 'blue tsunami' as they lost both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with Democrat victories in states that even a year ago were thought unwinnable.

The political earthquake sent the Left into overdrive as they took deep-red heartlands such as Kansas, which elected a Democrat senator for the first time since the Great Depression.

They also clinched a stunning victory in Texas, securing their first senator there in almost 30 years after new Democrat darling James Talarico thumped the Trump-backed candidate. He is now being talked of as potential 2028 challenger for the White House.

There were further Democrat Senate victories in Iowa and Mr Vance's backyard of Ohio, states Mr Trump won by more than 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

As the President's political obituaries were being written, the White House sought to remind people who was in charge, posting a picture of a clenched-fisted Mr Trump in the Oval Office, with the caption: 'PSA [Public service announcement]: Trump is still your president.'

The wipeout means Washington DC will face two years of political deadlock, while the President battles against the Democrats to pass future legislation and push through policies.

Trump signs the last piece of steel to be used in construction of the White House ballroom

The President instead focused on his White House ballroom vanity, visiting the construction site before taking a handful of questions about the midterm wipeout

'The American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of the failed lame duck president, Donald J Trump,' said Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff as he celebrated his re-election in Georgia.

Although Mr Trump was not on the ballot – despite telling voters to act as if his name was on the paper – the mid-terms were effectively a nationwide referendum on the President.

'I wasn't on the ballot – if I was on the ballot, we'd have won easily,' he told Politico, blaming 'poor candidates'. He later congratulated his rivals on a 'good job' and said he would work with, rather than against, them.

In the UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared to twist the knife as he said that Americans had voted for action on the cost of living.

Andy Burnham appeared to dig the knife in as he said Americans had voted for action on the cost of living.

Democrat James Talarico celebrates after winning the Texas race during a midterm election 

'The world has an opportunity now to unite around the issue that is affecting us all, and that's the cost of living,' Mr Burnham added.

'I can't get people's cost of living pressures down until the conflict in the Middle East is resolved, the conflict in Ukraine started by Russia. These are the things we have to focus on now, and I hope the world has a moment to do that.'

As the fallout continued, a civil war within the Republican Party appeared to brew, as high-profile members turned on Mr Trump.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis described it as 'close to an extinction-level event for Republicans', taking aim at scandals such as the Epstein Files, which the President sought to bury.

'It's a total, complete rejection of President Trump. It's on him,' Bill Miller, a top Republican lobbyist in Texas, told the BBC. 'This is a disaster of the first magnitude. Nobody saw it coming.'

'It was just one mistake after another,' said Gregg Peppin, a Republican strategist in Minnesota. 'Clearly, in state after state, people did not like the President's policies.'

Rumours also circulated in Washington over who would ultimately be the fall guy for the catastrophic losses, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, potentially in the firing line.

Mr Trump dismissed claims he was thinking of sacking his defence chief, saying: 'I think he's doing a good job.'

Losing both chambers of Congress means Trump will enter a 'lame duck' period in his final two years in office, with Democrats able to stymie his policy agenda.

Instead of pushing laws through Congress, the President will now have to rely on executive orders in areas where he retains authority, such as tariffs, immigration, foreign policy and military action, and the use of his veto to stop Democrat policies becoming law.

He will also face Democrat-led corruption investigations into himself, his allies and family, and could even be impeached for a third time.

Democratic congressman Robert Garcia, who will lead some of the probes as chairman of the House oversight committee, issued a blunt warning to Mr Trump and his allies: 'Lawyer up.'

Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries announced he will seek to be Speaker of the House when Congress votes in January. He called the mid-term results a 'stunning rebuke of MAGA extremism'.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.

READ MORE: Harry and Meghan lose another key member of staff as Archewell's head of factual programmes steps down after more than five years

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Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

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