Trump Says Iran War Contributed To Republican Midterm Defeat

United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran contributed to the Republican Party’s losses in the country’s midterm elections, but insisted he would make the same decision again.

Trump made the admission in separate interviews with Fox News and The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday night, following a major electoral setback for his party.

Asked whether the conflict played a role in the Republican defeat, Trump told Fox News, “I think a part of it was Iran.”

He also acknowledged that the war had affected fuel prices, which became a major concern for American voters during the election campaign.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Trump similarly said, “Iran was a piece of it,” while maintaining that he had no regrets about ordering military action against Tehran.

“I don’t think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again,” he said.

Trump later defended the military campaign, arguing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was more important than the political consequences of the war.

“If I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again because long term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

His comments came after Republicans suffered heavy losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats winning control of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The results ended Republican control of Congress and handed Democrats greater influence over legislation, congressional investigations and oversight of the Trump administration.

The Iran conflict had been a major issue during the election campaign, with Democratic candidates criticising the administration over the rising cost of fuel and the economic impact of the military operations.

Trump, however, rejected suggestions that the election results amounted to a repudiation of his presidency, arguing that Republicans would have won by a landslide if he had been on the ballot.

The president’s admission followed comments by Vice President JD Vance, who had also attributed the party’s defeat to the unpopular war, describing it as the obvious reason Republicans lost.

The conflict, which began in February 2026, has continued for months, with Washington maintaining that its military action was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.