Trump Says He'll Respect Midterm Results 'If They're Honest'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will respect the outcome of next week’s midterm elections as long as the vote is honest, and he laid out how he would govern if Democrats win back the House or Senate.

Speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One for campaign stops in Texas, Trump was asked whether he would respect the midterm results, according to NBC News. “I will, if they’re honest,” Trump said, NBC News reported. The Guardian also reported the exchange, saying Trump was pressed on the tarmac and gave the same answer.

NEW: President Trump reveals how he plans to work with Democrats if they take control of the House after next week's midterm elections.

"We'll figure out a way," Trump tells reporters, pointing to his veto power and the possibility of negotiating deals with Democrats.

Trump… pic.twitter.com/h3Es1joIa5

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 27, 2026

Trump was also asked how he intends to work with Democrats if they take a majority in either chamber after the November 3 election, according to NBC News. “We’ll figure a way. I have a strong veto. I hope that that won’t be the case. But if it is, that’s happened before with many presidents, and you have strong veto and you end up working on deals,” Trump said, according to NBC’s account of his remarks.

Fox News reported in a post on X that Trump pointed to his veto power and the possibility of negotiating deals with Democrats if they take control of the House. The Guardian reported that Trump said he would be open to working with, and potentially making deals with, a Democratic majority if Republicans lose control of Congress.

Election integrity push

The comments come as the administration presses states on the accuracy of their voter rolls. NBC News reported that Trump’s administration has been taking aggressive action to push states to vet their rolls for what it alleges are noncitizen voters, including in California.

NBC News also reported that the Justice Department has said it plans to send election monitors to polling places around the nation on Election Day, and that Democrats have responded by developing their own plans to send observers to watch the vote.

Trump’s answer is not new. The Guardian described it as “a familiar reply.” His supporters argue the condition is the point: an election that is run cleanly, with accurate rolls and only eligible voters, is one every side should accept. His critics have argued the phrase leaves room to challenge an outcome he dislikes.

Final week on the trail

Trump made the remarks on his way to Texas, where he is set to rally supporters in Lubbock and Corpus Christi, according to Fox News. The trip is aimed at boosting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, according to The Guardian, which reported that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were heading to Texas to campaign for Paxton as the midterm campaign entered its final week.

Before leaving, Trump also took aim at Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, Fox News reported. “Get rid of the oil, get rid of the guns and get rid of the meat. Between the three things, it’s ridiculous,” Trump said, according to Fox News.

Voters go to the polls on November 3, with control of the House and Senate on the line.

Sources

• NBC News live updates, Oct. 27, 2026
• The Guardian US politics live, Oct. 27, 2026
• Fox News on X
• Fox News on X (Talarico remarks)
• Fox News on X (Texas trip)

Reporting by Daily Beltway.