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Politics

Vance Blames Iran War for Republican Midterm Losses as Trump Says He Would Do It Again

Vice President JD Vance said the war with Iran was the reason Republicans lost control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, while President Donald Trump said he would make the same decision again.

By admin Nov. 5, 2026 · 6:42 AM ET 3 min read

The United States Capitol building lit up at dusk, seen across the Capitol Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument in the distance.

Vice President JD Vance blamed the war with Iran for the Republican Party’s midterm election losses on Wednesday, saying the conflict was the reason Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. In a lengthy post on X, Vance wrote, “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.”

The White House seen from the South Lawn in the early morning, with the American flag flying above the building.
The White House seen from the South Lawn in the early morning, with the American flag flying above the building.

Vance added that anyone who wanted to defend the war should say so plainly: “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so.” He also said an earlier recommendation to end the war was “sound advice,” according to Reuters.

Democrats secured control of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, winning races in states and districts that had backed Trump two years earlier. Vance’s remarks came as the party was still taking stock of the scale of the defeat. Reuters described them as the vice president distancing himself from the president’s war on Iran.

Trump stands by the decision

Trump has acknowledged that the war played a part in the outcome, but he has defended the decision to launch it. “Iran was a piece of it,” he told The Wall Street Journal, adding, “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”

A row of American flags waving in front of a stone government building in Washington.
A row of American flags waving in front of a stone government building in Washington.

Vance sought to play down any split with Trump, saying the president had also acknowledged that the war cost Republicans the election. Trump’s comments, though, were more measured: he described the war as only one of several reasons for the losses, according to Reuters.

The vice president’s remarks could also weigh on Trump’s thinking about the war itself. US officials have told Reuters that restarting major combat operations against Iran is still under consideration, and Vance’s public break with the war may make that choice harder. His comments also raised questions about the standing of senior Pentagon officials, most notably Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is already unpopular in Congress, where some lawmakers are expected to seek his impeachment, according to Reuters.

Polls showed the war weighed on voters

The election results matched what surveys had been showing for months. According to an NBC News exit poll, 37% of voters said the United States made the right decision to take military action against Iran, while 74% said the war was a major factor in their vote. An October poll from the Pew Research Center found 65% of Americans disapproved of the way Trump has handled the conflict.

The empty chamber of the United States House of Representatives, with rows of desks and chairs under warm light.
The empty chamber of the United States House of Representatives, with rows of desks and chairs under warm light.

The losses hit close to home for Vance. Democrats won his old Senate seat in Ohio, where former Senator Sherrod Brown defeated former Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Vance had said before the election that the race was personal to him.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and USA Today.

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