President Donald Trump said the war with Iran contributed to Republicans’ midterm losses but defended the offensive, saying he would make the same decision again. (Foto: Instagram)
President Donald Trump said Wednesday, Nov. 4, that the war against Iran contributed to Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections held the previous day. While acknowledging that the conflict weighed on the result, Trump defended launching the offensive, saying he would make the same decision again.
Trump said it was “mostly true” that the war had cost Republicans votes because it pushed up gasoline prices in the short term. He argued, however, that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon justified the action in the long run. “If I had to do it again, I would,” Trump said, adding that the United States could not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon and that he believed the decision was worthwhile.
Trump also addressed the next Congress, which will be controlled by Democrats. He said he expected to be able to work with members of the opposing party, unless they sought to be “destructive.” He added that he would use his veto power if he objected to their actions. Democrats had already called him to discuss issues, he said, and he was willing to talk.
The president also argued that Republicans would have done better if he himself had been on the ballot. Citing the large crowds at his campaign rallies, Trump said the enthusiasm for him had not translated into support for Republican candidates. “There were thousands and thousands of people at every rally,” he said. “There was so much love at the rallies, it was incredible, but we weren’t able to transfer that love to the candidates.”
Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The change gives the opposition party greater ability to block administration proposals and increase oversight of Trump’s government, and could make it harder for the president to pass his agenda during the next two years. Voters also chose governors in 36 states. As of Wednesday, Democrats had won 22 state governorships and Republicans 12. The Democratic victories included Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Ohio and Nevada, all of which had previously been governed by Republicans.
Vice President JD Vance also connected the Republican defeat to the war. In a post on X, he wrote that the conflict was the reason the party lost, adding that Trump had said as much the previous night. Vance said internal party surveys showed that some voters who supported Trump’s ticket in the 2024 presidential election had switched to Democrats in the midterms. He urged Republicans to acknowledge the war’s effect and debate whether its political and economic costs were justified. If party members believed the price was worth paying, including losing control of the Senate for the next six years, they should make that case, Vance wrote, calling such an argument at least honest.
