Vance Blames Iran War for GOP Congress Losses

Vice President JD Vance blamed Republicans’ sweeping 2026 midterm losses, including the loss of both chambers of Congress, chiefly on the war in Iran, saying many voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 switched to support Democrats. He argued turnout was not the central problem and cited polling pointing to anger over the conflict, alongside concerns about living costs and inflation, the “America First” agenda, and U.S. relations with Israel. Vance urged party leaders to have an honest discussion of the defeat and address the war, while warning against explanations he considered misleading. His comments highlighted the conflict’s political cost for an administration that has defended the war; Vance had earlier questioned it and later helped negotiate after the U.S. entered the conflict.