A Wall Street Journal article by Josh Dawsey, Alex Leary, and Lindsay Wise recounts how President Trump's Iran war, immigration crackdown, and focus on White House renovations led Republicans to sweeping defeat in the November 3, 2026, midterms, with Democrats winning Senate races in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas. It details his costly Senate picks like Ken Paxton, aides' failed warnings on affordability, and Trump's own view that his absence from the ballot was the biggest issue.