Schadenfreude Over Trump Allies Midterm Losses
Left 100%
Center 0%
Right 0%
2 left · 0 center · 0 right
What happened
After Republican losses in the U.S. midterm elections, President Donald Trump said the results were unrelated to him. The Atlantic published a short item titled “A Night of Pure Trumpenfreude,” stating that the president’s actions had consequences. The Guardian published a column by Rebecca Shaw describing those losses as “powerful schadenfreude” for Trump’s critics. Shaw also quoted Trump’s onstage remarks about Republican Sen. Jon Husted’s body and cited a rally in Oklahoma where Trump commented on “handsome Oklahoma studs” and later said football was boring.
ONE-SIDED THIS WEEK.
Only left-leaning outlets have covered this story in the last two days;
OAN reported it on 2026-11-05.
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Left-leaning coverage treats Republican midterm losses as a night of delight, and right-leaning outlets have not covered the story at all. Conservatives are said to have lost in a spectacular way, a moment that blessed millions with relief in Guardian commentary, while the Atlantic says the president's actions finally had consequences. Neither outlet reports a seat total or which chamber changed. Coverage also records Trump's denial and a fear that Democrats will not take meaningful action, still without results. The pieces agree the night was a defeat and otherwise barely overlap, because the Atlantic item is only a few lines. A reader of the silent side never sees this celebration, and a reader of the left never sees the size of the defeat being cheered.
Emphasis in the Guardian falls on Trump describing a senator's body and on supporters who must appear to enjoy it. Consequences lead the Atlantic item, which never mentions those comments or the defeated ally.
How many congressional seats did Republicans actually lose?
Bottom line
The Atlantic billed the election as a night of "pure Trumpenfreude" without listing a flipped seat, and right-leaning outlets have not covered that claim.
The receipts — 2 facts one side's coverage lacks
- The president's actions are said to have finally had consequences
- Commentary fears Democrats will not use the moment to take meaningful action
The Left View
Left-leaning coverage is opinion, not straight news. The Atlantic framed the midterms as consequences catching up with Trump. The Guardian’s Rebecca Shaw treated Republican losses as a moment of relief and entertainment, writing that “terrible people” were having “a terrible time” and that Democrats might still fail to use the result for “meaningful action.” Much of her column mocks MAGA supporters who stood behind Trump while he described other men’s bodies in detail—including comments about examining Husted’s “ass,” shoulders, feet, hand, and jawline—and while he called football boring. She said Husted’s defeat showed “sex did not sell,” imagined supporters were privately mortified, recycled jokes about Trump’s sexuality or cognition, and said she would keep “pointing and laughing.” Two near-identical Guardian items carry that same framing.
Our Take (balanced)
The package is thin as news: it is commentary celebrating an election outcome, not an investigation with documents, certified tallies, or on-the-record responses. Established in the provided material is only that The Atlantic and The Guardian published pieces characterizing the midterms as a Republican setback Trump denies owning, and that Shaw’s column is explicitly schadenfreude and ridicule. Unverified here are the full certified results, named-race margins, and any inner states Shaw attributes to Trump supporters. No right-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for certified returns, Husted and other named-race outcomes, and statements from Trump, Republican leaders, and election officials.
2 sources
More stories
The week's bottom lines, in your inbox
One email a week: the five stories that mattered and what they actually mean. Free.