Vance blames Iran conflict for GOP midterm defeats: “The reason we lost is the war”

November 4, 2026 / 11:41 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that he believes Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress because of voters' opposition to the war in Iran and suggested that the conflict may not have been worth the cost of losing the GOP's hold on the Senate.

In his first public comments since Democrats' rout of Republicans in the midterm elections, Vance said Republicans must be honest about the impact the war had on their campaigns in order to determine the best path forward for the party.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote in a post on X. "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there."

The vice president said many voters who backed President Trump and him in the 2024 presidential contest cast their ballots for Democrats in…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/