President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the Iran war helped cost Republicans the midterm elections, while standing firmly behind his decision to launch the conflict.
Speaking to reporters at the White House ballroom construction site, Trump acknowledged the political fallout from higher gasoline prices but said his position on the war had not changed.
“I think it’s largely true,” Trump said, but noted, “If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again.”
The president argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained necessary despite the electoral consequences.
Vance’s lengthy post on X set off a debate over the GOP’s losses. But Trump welcomed his vice president’s assessment.
“I know how he feels about it,” Trump said. “I think it was fine; I thought it was good.”
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump APPROVES of JD Vance’s LENGTHY post blaming midterm losses on the Iran war, affordability and more
“I know how he feels…it was good.”
“We knew that. I knew that when I went in. And we stopped them from having a nuclear weapon.”
47 says he HAS spoken to Vance
JD is on FULL repair and win mode ahead of 2028. It’s what we need. We HAVE to turn it around!
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 4, 2026
Donald Trump Jr. also backed Vance, sharing the post on X and endorsing its message.
Vance argued that Republicans’ problems went beyond getting supporters to the polls. Many voters who backed the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024 had switched to Democrats, he wrote.
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He cited a pollster’s findings that winning those voters back would require ending the war, addressing inflation and the cost of living, prioritizing America First policies and changing the U.S. relationship with Israel.
Vance also noted that Trump himself had acknowledged the war’s role in the election losses.
The vice president challenged supporters of the conflict to confront its political consequences.
“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so,” he continued, saying, “Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”
Vance closed his message by urging frustrated supporters to help elect Republicans who share their priorities.
