The Republicans' disappointing performance in the midterm elections is also a personal defeat for former US president Donald Trump, who had been counting on the success of the candidates he endorsed to launch his own presidential bid next Tuesday. To make matters worse, Ron DeSantis, his potential Republican rival for the 2024 elections, celebrated a resounding victory in Florida.
Feelings of anger and frustration swept through Mar-a-Lago's gilded halls on Wednesday. The mansion’s owner, Donald Trump, who has been living in Florida since he left the White House, spent election night reeling over the fact that the big "red wave" the Republicans had promised ahead of the midterms had not materialised.
