Banks defends Trump after midterm losses: ‘He wasn’t on the ballot’

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) on Sunday defended former President Trump after the GOP underperformed in the midterm elections, saying Trump “wasn’t on the ballot” this year.

“Donald Trump remains a very popular figure in the Republican Party in each corner of the country,” Banks told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream. “And I remember when he was on the ballot and 2016 and 2020, we won a lot more seats than when he wasn’t on the ballot in 2018.”

“And he wasn’t on the ballot in 2022,” Banks added. “He had also supported many candidates who won around the country too, but he wasn’t on the ballot.”

Heading into Election Day, Republicans were projected to make big gains in the House even as Senate control remained a toss-up.

Democrats surprised many after they beat back an expected red wave, ultimately securing a majority in the Senate by one seat. In the House, Republicans are on track to secure a majority, but it will likely be much slimmer than they had anticipated.

Some midterm losses for Republicans has been pinned on Trump, who supported candidates who offered allegiance to him and backed his claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Banks on Sunday dodged a question on whether he would support Trump’s likely White House bid in 2024.

“I believe that Donald Trump was a very effective president for our country. I believe he could be a very effective present for our country again,” the Indiana Republican said. “I’ll save my endorsement for another place and time for the 2024 race. I’m focused wholly on what happened on Tuesday and how our party moves forward on Capitol Hill.”