Update · 4 Nov 2026, 10:05 PM PKT: JD Vance blamed the Iran war, inflation and Israel ties for the Republican midterm defeat.
President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the United States’ attack on Iran and a sharp rise in prices affected Republican performance in midterm elections on Tuesday. He nonetheless said the military action was justified and rejected responsibility for the heavy defeats.
In a televised phone interview late on Tuesday, Trump said the US economy was strong but that rising gasoline prices, which he blamed on Iran, meant people did not notice it as much. He said voters backed his Iran policy but were unwilling to accept higher fuel costs in the short term. “I understand that. I don’t agree with it,” he said.
Trump blames his absence from the ballot
Speaking to a newspaper about the Republican defeats, Trump said of the war: “I did the right thing. I would have done it again.” He did not acknowledge any failings in his strategy.
Also read: Democrats Win US Senate Control in 2026 Midterm Elections · Trump Iran military action could widen if GOP loses midterms
Instead, Trump said he had not been on the ticket, which he argued meant Republicans could not mobilise enough voters. “I wasn’t on the ticket,” he said in an interview with a US newspaper. “And because I wasn’t on the ticket, we couldn’t get enough people out to vote.”
He also faulted the losing candidates, many of whom he had handpicked and promoted at multiple rallies. “Some of the candidates that I endorsed fought me,” he said, adding that “some of them had a lot of flaws, and obviously they were not acceptable to the voters”.
Strategist points to unclear messaging and fuel costs
Republican strategist James Davis said the war had contributed to the party’s setbacks but was not the main problem. “The war was definitely part of it and has helped shift the electorate toward Democrats,” Davis said.
Davis argued that the biggest issue was the lack of a clearly articulated strategy that would give people confidence in the war’s aims. He added that the economic fallout, including higher energy and especially diesel costs, had touched every sector and intensified Americans’ concerns about affordability.
Trump criticises Abbott and vows to work with Democrats
Trump lamented the shock defeat of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a longtime ally, saying Abbott had become a “Republican in name only”. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that Abbott would not have lost had he not turned into a RINO in the final six months of his political career.
In a preview of his likely governing style over the next two years, Trump also posted a picture of his trademark red cap bearing the word “veto”. The image was meant to signal his determination to block legislation from the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress.
Before the vote, Trump had repeatedly said presidents tend to lose midterm elections and had dismissed suggestions that his policies had driven voters away. Speaking to a television network after the rebuke, he said he did not plan any cabinet changes. “It had nothing to do with my cabinet. It’s just a point in time. There was a mood in the air, I guess.”
In a conciliatory note, Trump said he wanted to work with Democrats but warned he would stand his ground. “I think we’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll get along very well with them. If we don’t, we’ll be very tough on them; they’ll be very tough on us,” he said. He added that he would not work with Democrats on transgender issues involving children, though he said there were many other areas where cooperation was possible.
