Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday, Nov. 4, that the Iran war cost Republicans control of Congress, a day after Democrats won both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections. President Donald Trump acknowledged the war and higher gasoline prices played a role, but said he would launch the war again, Al Jazeera reported.
Related: Trump congratulates Democrats, says he “wasn’t on the ballot”
What Vance said
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote, adding that the president himself had said so the night before, according to Al Jazeera. He said any honest discussion of the party’s next steps had to start there, and challenged anyone who thought the war was worth it to weigh that against losing the Senate, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera described Vance, a likely 2028 presidential candidate, as appearing to diverge from Trump. Khaleej Times’ live coverage also reported Vance’s comments on Wednesday.
What Trump said
In a Fox News phone interview late Tuesday, Trump said people agreed with his Iran policy but were not willing to accept higher gasoline prices in the short term, and he blamed those prices on Iran, according to Al Jazeera. He told The Wall Street Journal he did the right thing and would do it again, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump also told The New York Times that Republicans could not turn out enough voters because he was not on the ticket, and said he did not plan to change his cabinet, Al Jazeera reported. Later Wednesday, Khaleej Times reported that Trump ruled out firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Reuters, in a report published by Al-Monitor, likewise said Trump had acknowledged the war and the spike in gasoline prices played a role in the losses but maintained the conflict was worth it.
Other explanations
Not every Republican pointed only to the war. James Davis, a Republican strategist, told Al Jazeera the war played a part but was not the biggest issue. Trump separately blamed some defeated candidates, and wrote on Truth Social that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lost because he had become a Republican in name only, Al Jazeera reported.
What happens next
Democrats take control of both chambers on Jan. 3, 2027. The Associated Press projected Democratic control of Congress on election night, as our results report details. House Democrats have said they want to end the Iran war; see our story on what a Democratic Congress means for Trump’s foreign policy.
Follow every race on our 2026 election tracker and the conflict on our Iran war tracker.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Trump says Iran war justified despite polls drubbing
- Khaleej Times: Trump says ‘largely true’ Iran war caused midterms loss, after Vance comments (live updates, Nov. 4)
- Reuters via Al-Monitor: US slaps sanctions on Indian, Turkish firms and people for aiding Iran
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