Key facts
- Vance said in a post on X that "the reason we lost is the war," calling an earlier recommendation to end the war "sound advice," per Reuters.
- Trump said "Iran was a piece of it" in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, and said he would have launched the war again.
- US officials have told Reuters that restarting major combat operations against Iran is still under consideration by Trump.
- Democrats won control of both the Senate and House on Tuesday, per Reuters, which gave no seat counts or vote tallies.
US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the war with Iran was the reason Republicans lost the midterm elections, distancing himself from President Donald Trump's conflict. In a post on X, Vance wrote: "The reason we lost is the war." He added: "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."
Vance also said an earlier recommendation to end the war was "sound advice," according to Reuters. The remarks could complicate Trump's deliberations as he weighs whether to restart major combat operations against Iran, a step US officials have told Reuters is still under consideration.
Trump gave a more measured account to the Wall Street Journal. Asked about the war's impact, he said "Iran was a piece of it," while saying he had no regrets: "I did the right thing. I would have done it again."
Democrats secured control of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, scoring sweeping victories in Republican strongholds for the first time in generations, per Reuters. Voters swung toward Democrats amid frustration over the war, anxiety over the cost of living and anger at Trump's stewardship, Reuters reported. No vote tallies, seat counts or result date were given.