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US Politics

Vance blames the Iran war for Republican midterm losses as Democrats win Congress

Trump says the war was part of it but he would do it again, and he called Vance's post good.

Vice President JD Vance in 2026
Vice President JD Vance in 2026. Photo: Emily J. Higgins, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
32 news outlets reported this
Liberal12 outletsVance's rebuke and the scale of Trump's defeatCenter5 outletsVance's break with Trump, with polls and costsConservative15 outletsTrump's admission, Vance's 2028 position and Iran's reaction
Published 4 min readMoney and daily life
Overview

Democrats won control of and the in Tuesday's elections, flipping Senate seats in Republican states such as Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. On Wednesday morning, Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that "the reason we lost is the war," meaning the US war with Iran, which began Feb. 28. He said a pollster told him many 2024 Trump voters backed Democrats over four issues: the war, the cost of living, America First policies and the relationship with Israel.

Trump told the Journal that "Iran was a piece of it" but "I would have done it again." At the White House on Wednesday he called Vance's view "largely true," said he would do the war again, and called the post "good." Straight Arrow News reports Trump also told Fox News anchor Bret Baier he thinks gasoline prices, not the war, explain the result.

Straight Arrow News puts the Democrats' Senate majority at 54 seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled. The AP Voter Poll found about 6 in 10 voters said the US made the "wrong decision" in taking military action against Iran. Vance also wrote that he is open to changing immigration enforcement but rejects amnesty.

Key figures
  • 54-seat majority Democrats' Senate majority after flipping seven seats, per Straight Arrow News — Straight Arrow News
  • 229 seats Democrats' House seats in the AP's current count, with 67 races uncalled, per Straight Arrow News — Straight Arrow News
  • About 6 in 10 voters said the US made the wrong decision on Iran, per the AP Voter Poll — The Seattle Times
  • more than $47 billion US military spending on the Iran war, as Reuters reported — Military Times
  • $4.12 per gallon average price of regular gasoline on Wednesday, per The American Conservative — The American Conservative

Three sides of the story

Liberal12 outlets

Vance's rebuke and the scale of Trump's defeat

The Independent opens with Trump "humiliated" as Democrats "seized control of ," and says Vance placed the blame "squarely" on the Iran war. It adds Trump's reply that the assessment was "largely true" while he would still do it again, and says pressure fell on Pete Hegseth. Axios headlines Vance's claim that the war cost the midterms and says he put "at least a little daylight" between himself and Trump as 2028 begins.

It notes exit polls ranked cost of living and corruption as top issues. The Daily Beast calls the post a "stunning rebuke," says in its headline that Vance threw Trump "under the bus," and notes Donald Trump Jr. replied "Every word of this" is right. Al Jazeera frames Vance as a presidential hopeful who "appears to question" the war, notes he has been a negotiator with Iran, and contrasts Trump's "I would have done it again."

The Boston Globe pairs Vance's post with the Democrats' landslide and the uncalled Alaska and Mississippi Senate races.

Center5 outlets

Vance's break with Trump, with polls and costs

Military Times quotes "The reason we lost is the war" and calls it an "apparent break" with an administration that has claimed victory. It adds cost data, more than $47 billion spent per Reuters, and a CBS report that Trump has reportedly been polling advisers on firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Seattle Times runs an AP report saying Vance "publicly broke from"

Trump's defense of the war, while Trump, at his White House ballroom, said "we had to do" it and called Vance's post "good." It cites the AP Voter Poll, in which about 6 in 10 said "wrong decision," though the war was not the leading issue. Straight Arrow News says Trump "stopped short" of Vance's conclusion, quotes Trump telling Fox's Bret Baier it was "the gasoline prices," and lists Democrats' 54 Senate seats.

Forbes headlines "Everyone Knows Why We Lost," and NewsNation notes Vance is open to changing immigration enforcement.

Conservative15 outlets

Trump's admission, Vance's 2028 position and Iran's reaction

The Epoch Times leads with Trump acknowledging that Iran played a role, quoting "Iran was a piece of it" and "I did the right thing," and adds reactions from Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The Daily Mail calls Vance's X post a "stunning rebuke" and says he "went scorched earth," while Trump said of the 2028 field, "Maybe he won't run." The Center Square focuses on 2028, citing its own poll with 44% backing Vance and describing the post as "damage control."

The Daily Signal headlines "Everyone Knows Why We Lost" and quotes Trump saying the war "drove the gasoline up a little bit short term" but that he would do it again. The American Conservative's "Iran War Day 250" item pairs Vance's post with Iranian reactions, crude near $94 and regular gasoline at $4.12 per gallon.

Money and daily life

For drivers, The American Conservative reports regular gasoline averaged $4.12 per gallon on Wednesday, and Brent crude fell to around $94 per barrel, its lowest since Sept. 1. Trump told Fox News that voters "probably" were not willing to pay more for gasoline in the short term, according to Straight Arrow News. Vance listed cost of living and among voters' complaints.

All sources: 39 articles from 32 outlets

Liberal (14)

Center (6)

Conservative (19)

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