Jakarta, ThedailyID — US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war against Iran for the Republican Party’s defeat in the 2026 midterm elections. He said the conflict had seriously damaged his party and contributed to a major setback for President Donald Trump’s administration.
Vance made the remarks in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, November 4. He argued that the reason behind the Republican losses was clear: the war launched by Trump alongside Israel in February.
“The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone. The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote, as quoted by The Guardian.
“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. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest,” he added.
Vance stressed that any honest discussion about the Republican Party’s future must begin by acknowledging the political consequences of the conflict.
“Everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there,” he said.
His comments drew attention because Vance had previously represented the Trump administration in efforts to negotiate with Tehran. He had also expressed reservations about the ongoing conflict, which remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, Trump acknowledged that the war had contributed to the Republican defeat. In a phone interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, November 3, he identified the conflict as one of the factors behind the election results.
“Iran was a piece of it,” Trump said when asked about the war’s impact on the midterm elections.
However, Trump insisted that he did not regret launching the military campaign and said he would make the same decision again.
“I don’t think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again,” he said.
The remarks highlight differing public assessments of the war within the Republican leadership following the party’s losses in the midterm elections.
