Trump Backs Vance’s Iran War Explanation for GOP Losses
Trump said Vance had been transparent with him before posting his assessment of the Republican losses on X. Vance wrote that the war was the reason Republicans lost and said an honest discussion of the results had to begin there. Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress and won a majority of state governorships.
During a Sunday conversation with CBS for 60 Minutes, Trump said he did not disagree with Vance’s account, which also pointed to higher prices and ties between the U.S. and Israel. Trump said he had told Vance to write what he wanted. He added that he wished Vance had said whether he would support striking Iran again.
Trump’s answer was yes, arguing that Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said the decision might not be popular in the short term but would be good for the country historically. Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said many people disliked Vance’s comments, but said he did not, and described the war as won. He also said voters disliked the war and higher gasoline prices.
Trump Defends Iran War as Vance Links It to GOP Losses
Trump accepted that the Iran war helped cost Republicans the midterms, after Vice President JD Vance said the losses were caused by the war. Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress, and Vance argued that an honest assessment of the results had to begin with the conflict.
Speaking with CBS, Trump said he did not disagree with Vance’s view, which also pointed to higher prices and ties between the U.S. and Israel. He said Vance had consulted him before posting and that he wished the vice president had clarified whether he would make the same decision to strike Iran again.
Trump said he would, insisting the threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon outweighed the political consequences. His defense underscores the choice facing the administration: Trump says the war was necessary, even as he acknowledges that voters disliked it and that gasoline prices rose. Vance’s account puts the electoral cost plainly; Trump’s answer is that the decision was still worth it.
Trump Says Iran Strike Was Worth GOP Midterm Losses
President Donald Trump made clear that protecting the country from a nuclear-armed Iran mattered more than avoiding an electoral setback. He agreed with Vice President JD Vance that the war helped cause Republicans’ midterm losses, but said he would still order the strike again.
Vance had written that the war was the reason Republicans lost, after Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress. Trump said the vice president had spoken with him before posting and that he did not disagree with Vance’s assessment, which also cited higher prices and ties between the U.S. and Israel.
Trump’s position is that an unpopular decision can still be the right one. He said voters disliked the war and higher gasoline prices, while arguing that Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He criticized Vance only for not making clear whether he would repeat the decision, and said the conflict would be judged positively in the long run.
Reported by New York Post, Fox News, Daily Mail US, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, CBS News.
