Midterms: Trump acknowledges role of Iran war, congratulates Dems • FRANCE 24 English

[0:00] A stunning knock back then for Donald Trump as he appeared to turn on the rest of his party [0:04] by saying the problem was that it was not his name on the ballot paper [0:08] and if it had been, he would have won by a landslide. [0:12] Well, let's hear from Donald Trump then. [0:15] I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, [0:18] people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran. [0:21] I think historically it's going to be much more important than this evening [0:24] because you can't let the number one state sponsor of terror have a nuclear weapon. [0:30] You know, it's the most dangerous country in the world and we wiped them out practically. [0:34] And I think the Democrats did a good job. I really do. [0:39] I think they did a good job. They fought hard. [0:41] This fight's been going on for ages. [0:44] You know, I started and really, if you look at it, I've been doing it for 12 years with them [0:49] and I've come up on top all the time. [0:52] Donald Trump there talking to Fox News. [0:54] Well, let's talk now to our correspondent Wassim Khorne who joins us from the west coast of the USA, [0:59] from Los Angeles. [1:01] Wassim is getting pretty late there, middle early hours of the morning. [1:04] Of course, reactions to all of this still pouring in. [1:07] I'm not quite sure I've ever heard Donald Trump praising Democrats there, [1:11] but he did do so, which perhaps is a good indication of the way things might go. [1:15] Just bring us up to date with the latest. [1:16] Yeah, maybe an indication that things are looking so bad that it's, you know, impossible for him [1:25] not to at least have some cooperation with Democrats. [1:28] You know, back in 2024, he promised the America a Republican victory so big it was impossible to rig. [1:35] Clearly, Democrats tonight have achieved a victory so big it has become impossible to doubt, [1:40] impossible to sort of question the actual results. [1:43] So it remains to be seen, of course, how Donald Trump will work with Democrats. [1:48] He did also say one caveat is that he will veto anything that is too unreasonable. [1:53] But just to give you the latest results here in the state of California, [1:56] the most populous state in the United States, beginning with the L.A. mayoral race, [2:00] why is that important? [2:01] Well, it could yield a progressive mayor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, [2:08] just like Zoran Mamdani, here for the United States, his second largest city, Nifia Raman, [2:13] now taking the lead over Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor, quite unpopular due to several crises that [2:19] she mismanaged or at least was perceived to have mismanaged over the past four years. [2:24] Let's talk also about Proposition 40, nicknamed the billionaire tax. [2:27] That, if passed, it would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state of California. [2:33] 90% of the proceeds would go to health care. [2:35] The remaining 10% would go to education and food aid programs. [2:40] That looking likely to fail right now with about 60% of the no camp, excuse me, 60% in favor of the no camp. [2:48] And then one important thing to point out is the House races in California. [2:52] If you recall, California last year passed a redistricting law to gain five Democratic seats [2:58] in the House of Representatives in direct opposition in account to counter Texas efforts [3:03] by the Republican-controlled legislature there that they redistricted some of their districts there [3:09] in an effort to gain five seats in the House of Representatives there. [3:13] Looking likely, like the five new districts to give advantage to Democrats here in California [3:18] will all likely go to the Democrats. [3:21] And the cruel irony for Texas Republicans is that two of the five districts that they redrew there [3:26] are likely to go to Democrats, excuse me, as of now. [3:30] So a spectacular self-owned because that effort to redistrict in Texas [3:35] and the ensuing counterattack by Democrats in California [3:38] might actually end up netting Democrats a plus seven net gain in the House of Representatives [3:44] just based on those two states. [3:46] Well, of course, now Republicans have to try to work out what's gone wrong for them, [3:49] why it's gone wrong. [3:50] Donald Trump in that clip we played, seeming to try to defect the reasoning for that [3:56] away from the Iran war. [3:58] It has to be one of the major issues, if not the major issue, though, doesn't it? [4:05] Absolutely one of the major issues. [4:07] You know, I think it's important to look back to 2016, Donald Trump's first election, 2024, [4:12] when he was re-elected for a second term, [4:14] and look back at what Donald Trump managed to achieve back then. [4:17] And I think much of it was because he managed to portray the Republican Party and himself [4:23] as a man of the people, as a party that would defend everyday Americans [4:27] by putting money back in their pockets, by cutting taxes and giving back that freedom [4:31] that so many Americans cherish. [4:33] Two years into his second term, many Americans have realized that that has not been the case. [4:38] He had promised no new war in the Middle East. [4:40] He was dragged into a war with Iran, an unwinnable war, as some might say, at Israel's behest, [4:45] and that has had a catastrophic impact on fuel prices, on inflation, on gas prices, [4:51] which is really a cardinal sin here in the United States, [4:53] a country that is so dependent on automobile and truck traffic. [4:58] There is also the question of data centers, which we haven't spoken about very much here. [5:03] Data centers have been popping up all over the country, a staggering statistic for you. [5:07] 55 million Americans now live less than five miles, eight kilometers away from a data center, [5:13] and those are having tremendous effects on a number of people, lots of noise pollution, [5:19] 24-7 noise pollution in many people's backyards, and also in some cases, in some areas, [5:24] places like Ohio, for example, that have turned Democrat, [5:27] and a massive increase in electricity bill because of the electricity usage of those data centers. [5:32] And many people are realizing that that happened under Republican leadership. [5:37] Many Republican really seeing the, ringing the alarm bells way too soon. [5:42] It wasn't until September, I believe, that Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, [5:45] issued a moratorium on the building of new data centers when, in fact, for the past year or so, [5:50] they've been sort of been so gung-ho about agreeing to all the construction of these data centers. [5:56] So Republican, or at least Americans, now issuing a scathing rebuke of the Republican policies, [6:03] not so much an embrace of Democratic policies. [6:06] One of the important things to watch tonight is the exit polls. [6:10] Things like, for example, corruption, which has become much more of an issue among Americans, [6:15] looking at whether they believe that Democrats or Republicans are best on corruption, [6:20] 33% think neither party. [6:22] So again, I would caution, yes, Democrats have a lot to celebrate about, [6:25] but I would not say this is an embracing of Democratic policies or the Democratic Party. [6:30] Wassim, thanks so much.