Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. have publicly blamed the war in Iran for the Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections, putting them at odds with President Donald Trump over the cause of the defeat.
In a lengthy post on X on Wednesday, Vance gave his explanation for why Republicans lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“The reason we lost is the war,” he wrote.
What did Vance say?
Vance urged party leaders to be honest about the result. He said that anyone who thinks the war was worth the price, including losing the Senate for six years, should say so.
“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest,” he wrote. “But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
He also listed what he said were the main concerns of 2024 Trump voters who moved to Democrats: ending the war, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the US relationship with Israel.
Trump Jr., 48, shared Vance’s thread on X with a short endorsement. “Every word of this 💯💯💯,” he wrote.
The war and its wake
Trump launched the war with Iran earlier this year, reportedly alongside Israel, after promising during his campaign that there would be “no new wars.” Vance had reportedly been skeptical of the conflict.
AFP and other outlets report that J.D. Vance is seen as a potential Republican contender in the 2028 presidential race, and that his comments came as he sought to distance himself from an unpopular war. Vance hasn’t said that was his motive.
Not everyone agrees that the war explains the result. Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow James Lindsay told AFP that the Republican losses came for reasons that “go well beyond Iran.”
With Democrats set to take control of Congress in January, the comments show a divide among Republican leaders over how to explain the losses and what comes next.
How did President Trump respond?
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said Vance’s comments were largely accurate, at least in part. “I think it’s largely true, because it drove gasoline up a little bit short-term,” he said.
But he said he stood by his decision. “If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again, because long-term, it’s the only answer,” Trump said, adding that Iran can’t be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. He said he knew the war would affect the election and “would’ve done nothing different.”
Asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump ruled out firing him. “No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” he said.
With Democrats set to take control of Congress in January, the comments show a divide among Republican leaders over how to explain the party’s losses and what comes next.
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