Vance blames Iran war for midterm rout as Trump agrees it was 'largely' the cause — but says he would do it again

US Vice-President JD Vance said on Wednesday (November 4) that Republicans lost the midterm elections because of the Iran war, writing in a social media post: 'The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.' President Donald Trump later agreed that Vance's assessment was 'largely' correct, while insisting the decision to go to war was right and that he would do it again. (Photo: file photo of JD Vance.)

Four reasons voters walked away

In a roughly 600-word post, Vance cited a pollster's analysis of why voters who backed Trump in 2024 switched to Democrats: ending the Iran war, the cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the US relationship with Israel. He challenged supporters of the war: 'If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.'

Trump: largely true, but he would do it again

Asked about Vance's post, Trump said: 'I know how he feels about it. I think it was fine. I thought it was good.' He told Sky News the war was 'largely' the reason for the defeat because it drove petrol prices up in the short term, but defended the military campaign launched with Israel in February, saying it stopped Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon: 'I did the right thing. I would have done it again.' He told the Wall Street Journal that Iran was one factor in the losses, while maintaining he had made the right call.

Trump saw the post before it went out

According to the New York Times, Vance showed Trump the message before posting it. Vance is widely seen as the leading contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, and the post — his sharpest public break with the president — was widely read as positioning for a 2028 run. Donald Trump Jr. reposted Vance's message, saying he agreed with 'every word' of it.

The scale of the defeat

Democrats seized control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's (November 3) midterms, one of the Republican Party's worst electoral defeats in decades. Vance had publicly backed the Iran war, though he was reported to have expressed opposition in private administration meetings. Marco Rubio, another possible 2028 rival, has remained silent since the election.

(Sources: Reuters, CBS News, November 5, 2026.)