JD Vance, the US Vice President, acknowledged that the war with Iran was the reason the Republicans lost the recent midterm elections, stressing that this is clear to "almost everyone."
On Wednesday, 4 Nov 2026 GMT+7, JD Vance, the US Vice President, posted on X admitting that the Republican Party’s heavy loss in the midterms was due to the war with Iran, while trying to distance himself from President Donald Trump.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said that last night,” Vance stated in a lengthy post on X. “If you want to argue that it was worth it, that losing the Senate seat for the next six years was a price worth paying, then say it. Say it’s a price worth paying. Whether you agree or not, at least that’s honest.”
“But everyone knows why we lost, and honest conversations about the direction we take next must start from that point.”
The Vice President also said that voters who formed the Trump base did turn out to vote, but they cast their ballots for the opposition, not the Republicans.
“Certainly, there were areas where we could have done better in turnout, but the main problem wasn’t turnout. The main issue was many who voted for Trump or me in 2024 switched to the Democrats in 2026.”
“There will be internal struggles and tough debates about what happened and why. A polling firm I respect told me that our economic messaging wasn’t sharp enough in the final stretch, which I believe is true.”
“But the real reason we lost is clear to nearly everyone,” Vance reiterated.
He cited another polling firm that identified four ways to win back Trump’s voter base: ending the Iran war, addressing soaring living costs, upholding the “America First” policy, and reshaping US-Israel relations.
Vance also admitted he felt uneasy on election night. “I felt uneasy even before Tuesday, but still, I was shocked by the results.”
Donald Trump hinted that the war played a role in the Republican defeat but continued to defend the military actions against Iran that he initiated. “I think part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understand the importance of what I did with Iran,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday night.
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Source:cnn