Donald Trump blamed the war in Iran and rising fuel prices for Republicans’ heavy losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress after voters delivered a sweeping rebuke to his party.
The result sets up a divided government for the final two years of Trump’s second term. A Democratic Congress will be able to block his legislative agenda and open investigations, while Trump retains the presidential veto.
What Trump said
In a telephone interview with Fox News, Trump said: “I think a part of it was Iran.” He added that people understood the importance of what he had done in Iran, according to Reuters. He also said Democrats would send legislation to his desk and that he would veto it.
Speaking separately to The Wall Street Journal, Trump said “Iran was a piece of it.” He insisted he had no second thoughts about launching the war earlier this year. “I did the right thing. I would have done it again,” he said, according to the Journal. He argued that fuel prices caused by the conflict, rather than the war itself, were the biggest political liability.
Trump also told The New York Times he was “absolutely willing” to accept the results and work with Democrats. On social media, he argued that he was not on the ballot. He said Republicans would have won in a landslide if he had been. He told Fox News he thought Republican candidates would do better.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Americans had voted against war. On X, he wrote: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR,” according to reports. He warned Washington not to ignore public opinion by attacking Iran again. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said anyone expecting a shift in Iran’s posture was “seriously mistaken”. He was speaking after the US vote, according to Iranian state media.
The election results
Democrats flipped at least six Republican-held Senate seats to gain a 54-seat majority, USA Today reported. The Associated Press later called the House for Democrats as well. The United States and Israel jointly launched the war against Iran in February, according to reports. Reuters exit-poll findings showed nearly nine in ten voters rated living costs as a major or crucial factor.
Democrats will take control of both chambers when the new Congress convenes in January 2027. Trump has said the United States has no immediate plans to strike Iran, according to the Express Tribune. Trump has not said publicly whether he will order further action. He has announced no date for any new military action.
