US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war with Iran and growing dissatisfaction with America's relationship with Israel for the Republican Party's crushing defeat in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
“The reason we lost is the [Iran] war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote in a lengthy statement on X on Wednesday.
He said a pollster whose predictions had accurately anticipated the election result had identified four principal demands among former Republican voters who were considering returning to the party: “End the war; focus on the cost of living and inflation; put America First; and change our relationship to Israel.
"If you'd like to argue [the war] was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest.”
Vance argued that Republicans had concentrated too heavily on whether their supporters would turn out to vote, rather than recognising that many were no longer prepared to back the party when they did.
“The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026,” he wrote.
“While many spent Monday attacking [Fox and Friends host] Rachel Campos Duffy for calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, it turns out her political advice was sound. She's also a great person.
“But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
President Trump has acknowledged that the Iran War contributed to his party's defeat, but has rejected the suggestion that he should have taken a different course.
Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, he said: “I think a part of it was Iran. But at the same time, people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran.
“I think historically it's going to be much more important than this evening, because you can't let the number one state sponsor of terror have a nuclear weapon.”
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the president was equally unapologetic, saying: “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”
On Wednesday, Trump also appeared to accept Vance's assessment, saying the vice president's comments were “largely true” because the conflict had pushed up petrol prices in the short term. However, he insisted that military action remained necessary.
“I knew the war was gonna impact [the election results],” he said. “I would’ve done nothing different.”
The recriminations came after Democrats secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, delivering a major setback to Trump's presidency.
Democrats made gains in traditionally Republican areas, with voters expressing frustration over the economy, rising household costs and the administration's handling of the war.
The war, launched by the US and Israel in February, has become increasingly unpopular due to its economic consequences, most notably higher petrol prices, and its failure to produce a lasting political or diplomatic settlement despite the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Vance has previously expressed reservations about the war and criticised elements of the Israeli government for opposing diplomatic efforts.
Last month, he argued that American policy in the Middle East should not be “subservient” to Israel's interests.
His latest intervention was shared by Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, who endorsed the vice-president's criticism, writing: “Every word of this is 100 per cent.”
Israel's President Isaac Herzog responded to the debate by emphasising the importance of maintaining support across the American political spectrum.
“Israel has always made every effort to be bipartisan,” he said, adding that he respected both Trump and Vance.
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