A panel of MSNBC hosts, including Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell, spent part of election night on Tuesday speculating whether President Trump’s new White House ballroom might be to blame for the GOP’s disappointing performance.
“Rachel, I was struck by something Vaughn Hilliard reported from a voter in New Jersey, saying that this voter was out there today voting because of, quote, this is what Vaughn said, the phrase he used, ‘the White House demolition,'” Lawrence said. “Donald Trump tearing down the East Wing of the White House — that sent a voter to the polls in New Jersey. Surely it sent thousands of voters to polls all around the country.”
“And the mind reels at how many ways, if you’re a Republican candidate, Donald Trump can ruin your campaign any day of your campaign,” he added, as several others on the panel laughed. “Let’s just assume Donald Trump was determined to do this to the White House. No one in the Republican Party could say to him, ‘Could you wait until November 5th? Could you just — November 5th. Don’t do anything before then.'”
BRAINWORMS: MSNBC, on two occasions, gave credence to the idea of ballroom construction being a factor in tonight's election results pic.twitter.com/WyYnV43qnN
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) November 5, 2025
That might be the most outlandish reason floated so far.
President Trump blamed the GOP’s losses on the ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history at 38 days. The lapse in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which nearly one in eight Americans rely on to avoid hunger, has had major political fallout. Democrats effectively leveraged the shutdown’s impact on those dependent on government aid for food, turning their frustration into motivation at the polls. Others have suggested the results simply reflected the lower turnout typical of an off-year election.
Choosing to vote against a party over a privately funded ballroom at the White House, which many view as a long-overdue addition, is both unreasonable for voters and a far-fetched explanation to offer to explain Tuesdays election.
Anything to take a jab at President Trump.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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