Wire reporting: (AP, via Anchorage Daily News)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday gathered reporters and construction workers at the unfinished White House ballroom as a final steel beam was prepared for placement, his first public appearance after Republicans lost control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections^1,3.

Associated Press dispatches carried by Anchorage Daily News, Boston.com and The Boston Globe said Trump spoke about the building project for nearly 20 minutes before taking questions, without first addressing the losses^3,4,5. CBS News also covered the appearance as his first after the midterms¹.

Trump praised the ballroom and a nearby helipad as a thing of beauty and said his administration had beautified Washington, D.C.¹. He told the crowd, "It'll be the most beautiful ballroom I think anywhere in the world"¹. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called him the greatest builder to serve as president and described the day as one of celebration and gratitude, CBS News reported¹.

Trump signed the beam, writing "Love!" above his name among workers' names, CBS News said¹. He said he finds the construction work relaxing because he loves building, and that he renovated the White House because it is the ultimate symbol of America¹. The AP accounts said the appearance was not originally on his public schedule^3,4.

Asked about Vice President JD Vance's post attributing Republican losses to the Iran war, Trump said that was largely true because the conflict drove up gas prices, CBS News reported¹. The AP accounts also noted Vance's statement that the reason the party lost was the war^3,5.

On Democratic majorities, Trump said he would probably get along with Democrats unless they wanted to be destructive, adding that he has the veto, according to CBS News¹. He said Democrats had already called and wanted to talk¹. Asked whether he might replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he said Hegseth had done a very good job; CBS News said it had reported earlier Wednesday that Trump had asked advisers whether Hegseth should leave¹.

In brief questions, the AP accounts said Trump insisted that if he had been on the ballot he would have won^3,4. They said he told Fox News on election night that he did not consider the result a personal defeat because he was not on the ballot and that voters did not like the candidates^3,4,5.

The AP Voter Poll, cited in those dispatches, found about two-thirds of voters said Trump does not have the right priorities, with most of those voters supporting Democratic House candidates, and that about 4 in 10 voters nationwide approved of his handling of the presidency^3,4,5. AP also reported Democratic Senate wins in places including South Carolina, Kansas and Texas^3,5.

What remains unknown from these accounts is how talks with congressional Democrats will proceed, whether Hegseth will stay, and how much of the midterm result Trump will publicly tie to the Iran war versus other issues^1,3.