WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war with Iran and America's relationship with Israel for the Republican Party's losses in the November 3 midterm elections, arguing that these issues prompted some voters who backed President Donald Trump in 2024 to switch their support to Democrats.
In a lengthy post on X on Wednesday, Vance identified four issues that Republicans would need to address to win back these voters: ending the war with Iran, tackling the cost of living and inflation, prioritising America's interests and changing the US relationship with Israel.
"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote.
He said many voters who supported Trump and Vance in the 2024 presidential election had voted for Democrats in the 2026 midterms.
Vance's assessment comes amid voter dissatisfaction with the administration's handling of the Iran conflict and economic concerns. An ABC News Voter Poll found that 34 per cent of voters considered the war with Iran a crucial factor in their voting decision. However, concerns over the cost of living and government corruption ranked higher, with 49 per cent and 55 per cent of voters, respectively, identifying them as crucial issues.
The poll also found that 62 per cent of voters believed the US had made the wrong decision in using military force against Iran.
President Donald Trump said Vance's assessment was "largely true" but defended the decision to launch military strikes against Iran, saying he would have made the same decision again.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie also responded to Vance's remarks, while former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the party had ignored earlier warnings about the political consequences of its policies.
Greene had previously criticised the administration for abandoning its campaign promises against foreign wars and warned that the Iran conflict could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections. (with inputs from media organisations)