Donald Trump is mistaken.

Imagine that. I’m saying the president is wrong in assessing a political outcome.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam is going to become Virginia’s next governor; he defeated Republican nominee Ed Gillespie in one of the hottest, most bitter races in that state’s recent memory.

Northam shackled Gillespie to Trump, joined them at the hip. He ran hard. He fought hard. Northam won.

How did the president take the news way over yonder in South Korea, where he is visiting as part of his five-nation Asia trip? He said Gillespie “worked hard” but failed to endorse the Trump agenda. He said Gillespie didn’t run — and this really kills me — as a “Trump Republican.”

I am not yet persuaded that Trump even is a Republican as I understand the philosophy of a once-great political party. He has hijacked it, turned into something most long-standing Republicans no longer recognize.

The president’s cult of personality has overpowered the Republican Party and, thus, in my view has turned off many voters.

Ed Gillespie paid the price for belonging to the same party as president of the United States.

Trump did seek to put some sort of positive spin on the political lay of the land. He tweeted: “Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!”

Time will tell on that one, Mr. President.

Oh … and don’t forget: the Republican candidate today also lost the governor’s race in New Jersey, which now flips to Democratic control. Another “win,” Mr. President?