Newsmax host on election results: “It's like a funeral in here”
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From the November 5, 2025, edition of Newsmax's Vote for America
GREG KELLY (HOST): We understand President Trump has weighed in on Truth Social. And actually, as we get that ready to go, let's put it up. Yeah, there we go. Trump wasn't on the ballot and shut down were the two reasons that Republicans lost elections tonight. Huh. OK. Tom?
LIDIA CURANAJ (CO-HOST): Yeah. Do you think that they weaponized the food and the shutdown?
TOM BASILE (CO-HOST): Yeah. Look, everybody was saying, well, why are they digging in their heels? Why are the Democrats doing that? Well, if you wanted to win in Virginia, if you wanted to win the governor's race in the AGs race in Virginia, for instance, you have the highest per capita percentage of public employee union members and federal workers, all of whom have been furloughed, all of whom were ticked off. And all they did was show up to vote. They showed up in huge numbers in Northern Virginia today. Made a big difference, I think, in that race, and I think it also made a difference in the AG's race as well.
KELLY: And perhaps the shutdown was, kind of, kept going by Democrats for that very reason.
BASILE: That's it. Exactly.
CURANAJ: Of course, a strategy.
KATRINA SZISH (CO-HOST): Yeah. And I mean, I think a lot of reports also were hearing, oh, well, the shutdown will probably end this week. Why? Because the election is over and I do — I do think it was a strategy by the Democrats.
KELLY: Absolutely. All right. Rob Astorino is standing by at the wall with much more. Hello, Rob.
ROB ASTORINO (CO-HOST): Oh, man. It's like a funeral in here.
KELLY: We got to lighten up. Nobody has died. You're right.
ASTORINO: All right. So let's talk a little bit about the next bad news. This is going to be in California, where Prop 50 is on the ballot.