Fact Check

Did Trump Say If GOP Candidates Win 2022 Election, He Should Get 'All the Credit’?

Trump was also quoted as saying, "... and if they lose, I should not be blamed at all."

Published Nov 9, 2022

 (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)
Image Via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
Claim:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview about GOP candidates before the 2022 midterm elections: "I think if they win, I should get all the credit, and if they lose, I should not be blamed at all.”

As the results of the 2022 midterm elections continued to roll in on Nov. 9, an interview given by former U.S President Donald Trump on Nov. 8, Election Day, raised eyebrows and quickly went viral. 

Trump spoke to NewsNation's Markie Martin about the slew of Republican candidates on the roster for the midterms, and how much credit he deserves for the results. He said: "Well, I think if they win, I should get all the credit, and if they lose, I should not be blamed at all. OK, but it'll probably be just the opposite."

Trump added, "When they win — I think they're going to do very well — I'll probably be given very little credit even though in many cases I told people to run, and they ran and they turned out to be very good candidates. [...] But usually what would happen is when they do well, I won't be given any credit and if they do badly, they will blame everything on me."

The full interview can be accessed on NewsNation. Trump had endorsed around 330 candidates for the midterm elections that included Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Ohio Senate victor, J.D. Vance, and more. 

Trump also said he had voted to reelect incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and that his endorsement won DeSantis the seat, but that DeSantis could have been more gracious about receiving his help. 

"He was not going to be able to even be a factor in the race," Trump said, referring to the Republican gubernatorial primary. "And as soon as I endorsed him, within moments, the race was over [...] I got him the nomination. He didn't get it. I got it, because the minute I made that endorsement, he got it."

Trump has also teased a possible reelection bid for himself in 2024, alongside speculation that DeSantis could be his potential rival for the presidency. 

Sources

 

Musumeci, Natalie. "Trump Says He Should 'get All the Credit' If Republicans Win Big in the 2022 Elections — and 'Should Not Be Blamed at All' If They Lose." Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-get-all-the-credit-for-gop-wins-midterm-elections-2022-11. Accessed 9 Nov. 2022.

"Ohio's Senate Race: Tim Ryan vs. JD Vance — Election Results." 10tv.Com, 4 Nov. 2022, https://www.10tv.com/article/news/politics/elections/ohio-senate-election-results-jd-vance-tim-ryan-2022-midterm-elections/530-fdfdc97e-90db-4bd1-a8ee-bb473396a645. Accessed 9 Nov. 2022.

"Trump: My Endorsements Made DeSantis, He Should Have Been More Gracious." NewsNation, 8 Nov. 2022, https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/trump-midterms-interview/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2022.

Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing.