Trump Links Iran War to Republican Midterm Losses as Democrats Take Congress

United States President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran played a part in the heavy losses suffered by his Republican Party in Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both houses of Congress. Speaking in interviews on Wednesday, he called the conflict one factor behind the result, while insisting he did not regret the decision to launch military action against Iran.

FAKTA

• Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
• Trump told Fox News the war was “a part of it” and told The Wall Street Journal it was “a piece of it”.
• Trump said he made the right decision on Iran and would make it again.
• The conflict, now in its ninth month, has been unpopular with many voters, with critics linking it to higher fuel and grocery prices.
• Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, welcomed the outcome, saying Americans had rejected war.

Democrats take both chambers

The midterms, held halfway through a president’s term, decide control of the House and a portion of the Senate, alongside many state offices. Tuesday’s vote delivered a sweeping defeat for the Republicans, who had held majorities in both chambers during the first two years of Trump’s second term. The new Congress will convene in early January with Democrats in charge, giving the opposition greater power over legislation and oversight for the remaining two years of his presidency.

Democratic candidates campaigned heavily on affordability, arguing that the conflict had pushed up fuel and other prices. Voter frustration over inflation and the rising cost of fuel and groceries was widely seen as central to the rebuke. Trump had promised voters his administration would avoid starting new wars, and his opponents made the Iran decision a major campaign theme.

Trump stands by Iran decision

In his post-election interviews, Trump was frank about the political cost of the conflict but firm in defending it. He told Fox News that voters understood the importance of what he had done on Iran, while acknowledging that the war had weighed on Republican candidates. To The Wall Street Journal, he said he had made the right choice and would make the same decision again.

Trump’s public statements about the conflict have shifted over time, between threats of stronger action and suggestions he could end it at any time.

What happens next

Trump also addressed working with the new Democratic majorities. He told Fox News that Democrats would send him legislation he considered unacceptable and that he would veto it, but added that after a period of vetoes, both sides would need to find a way to work together.

In Tehran, the result was welcomed by senior officials. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that Americans had said no to war, and expressed support for that message. The response underlined how closely the outcome is being watched in the region.

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