Trump Does Not Dispute Vance's Analysis, Says War Raised Petrol Prices but He Would Not Change the Decision

President Donald Trump has not disagreed with Vice President JD Vance's analysis blaming the Iran war for the Republican Party's setback in the US midterm elections.

Answering journalists' questions while visiting a construction area near the White House, Trump said he thinks it is largely true, because the war raised petrol prices somewhat in the short term.

At the same time, Trump said that if he had to make the decision again, he would do the same thing again. In his words, it is the only answer in the long term, because Iran cannot be allowed to keep nuclear weapons.

On the impact of the situation, he added that he knew the war would affect the election result. However, he said he would not have done anything differently.

Earlier, in a statement given on Wednesday (4 November) and on social media platform X, Vance wrote that the main problem was that many of those who voted for Trump and Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.

Citing pollsters' data on voter sentiment, Vance said those who had left the party were asked what would bring them back. Almost all respondents' four main answers were ending the Iran war, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the relationship with Israel.

Acknowledging the reality of the defeat, Vance said clearly that they lost because of the war. The president himself said so the previous night, he noted.

Accepting the loss of the balance of power, Vance added that if anyone wants to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, they should do so. Agree or not, at least that would be honesty, he wrote.

Supporting the vice president's remarks, the president's son Donald Trump Jr reposted Vance's post. In the caption he wrote that every word of it was 100 percent true.

Meanwhile, Trump rejected the possibility of removing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth from his post, saying he thinks Hegseth is doing a very good job.

Explaining his earlier remarks on ending the Iran war after the election, Trump said he had said the nuclear weapons would be destroyed, and that is what happened through 'Midnight Hammer'.

On ending the conflict, Trump further noted that the war will end when he wants it to. However, it must be completed properly, he said.