JD Vance, the US vice-president, has attributed the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections to the war with Iran, saying voters who supported President Donald Trump were angry over the conflict.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Vance acknowledged that opinion polls indicated the Trump administration had failed to communicate its economic message clearly during the final weeks of the election campaign.
“I’m sure that’s true. But the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone,” he wrote.
Vance said surveys asking voters why they had abandoned Republican candidates showed that many wanted the war with Iran to end, greater attention to the rising cost of living, an “America First” foreign policy and a change in Washington’s relationship with Israel.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay,” the US vice-president added.
“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Trump, speaking publicly for the first time since the war began, gave conditional backing to Vance’s position.
“I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term,” Trump said.
“At the same time, if I had it to do again, I’d have to do it again because, in the long term, it’s the only answer.
“You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
The US president also said Vance’s comments on the election outcome did not surprise him.
“I know how he feels about it. I think it was—I think it was fine,” he said.
When asked whether the war had been worth the cost, Trump maintained that he would not have changed his decision.
“as far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different”.
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the Democratic Speaker of the House in January, said bringing the war in Iran to an end would be among the party’s most pressing priorities.