Vice President JD Vance has attributed the Democrat victories in 2026 to the war with Iran, stating that "everyone knows why we lost" in a post on social media. Vance, who is considered the front-runner for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination, claimed that the war was the reason for the loss, citing a statement from President Donald Trump.
Vance also shared data from an unnamed pollster, which showed that President Trump's 2024 voters who planned to vote Democrat in 2026 gave four main reasons for their decision: ending the war, focusing on cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the relationship with Israel.
According to Vance, these reasons are why many Republican voters chose to vote for Democrats instead. President Trump responded to Vance's comments, stating that he thinks they are "largely true" and that the war may have driven up gasoline prices in the short term.
However, Trump also said that he would make the same decision again, as he believes it is the only way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump added that he stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon and that they will never have one.
The comments from Vance and Trump come after the Democrats' victories in 2026, which saw them gain control of the Senate. Vance's criticism of the war effort is unusual for a vice president, as he has not publicly opposed the war since it began.