President Trump acknowledged it was not a good night for Republicans on Election Day as Democrats secured major victories in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere, suggesting the ongoing government shutdown was partly to blame.

“Last night it was not expected to be a victory. It was very Democrat areas. I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” Trump said in remarks to GOP senators. “I’m not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening, and we learned a lot.”

Trump argued polls shows the shutdown, which on Wednesday set a record for the longest in history, “was a big factor, negative, for the Republicans.” He also suggested his absence on the ballot was a factor.

An NBC News poll published Sunday found 52 percent of voters blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown,

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