By Sohaib Shams
Vice President JD Vance blamed the Republican Party's midterm election losses on voter anger over the U.S. war with Iran, saying the conflict drove up oil prices and alienated supporters.
Vance cites war as primary factor
In a lengthy post on X hours after Democrats routed Republicans, Vance wrote that the war was the reason for the defeat, noting that President Trump had acknowledged the same the night before. He quoted an unnamed pollster who identified four key issues voters wanted addressed: ending the war in Iran, tackling inflation, putting America first, and changing the U.S. relationship with Israel.
Trump acknowledges war's role but defends decision
Former President Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Iran was "a piece of it" but defended the decision to launch the conflict, saying he would do it again. Trump had campaigned on the promise that the war would end soon and fuel prices would drop, while also suggesting his absence from the ballot contributed to the losses.
War background and voter sentiment
The U.S. began strikes on Iran in collaboration with Israel in late February. NBC News exit polling showed deep dissatisfaction with Trump's policies among voters, contradicting the president's claim that his party's losses were typical for midterms.
