The key facts

  • Vance blamed the defeat on the war with Iran and urged the campaign's supporters to openly justify its necessity
  • According to the data he cited, four demands would have brought voters back: ending the war, tackling rising prices, America First, and rethinking relations with Israel
  • Based on preliminary results, the Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress; Trump acknowledged the results but rejected personal responsibility

The vice president pointed to the war as the main reason for the defeat

US Vice President JD Vance said the Republican Party lost the midterm elections to Congress on November 3 because of the war with Iran.as reported by Anadolu, Gazeta.Ru and Life.ru). According to Vance, Trump made a similar statement late the night before: in a Fox News interview, the president acknowledged the war's impact on the result, but insisted it had been the right decision.

Not turnout, but voters who switched sides

Vance rejected the explanation of low turnout: Republican voters, he said, did show up at the polls — in Florida, Republicans outnumbered Democrats among those who voted by 9 points, only two points less than in 2024. The main problem, the vice president argues, is that many who voted for Trump and him in 2024 backed the Democrats this time. Drawing on data from a pollster who had predicted Republicans would trail Democrats nationwide by 13 points, he listed four demands from the voters who had defected: an end to the war, a solution to rising prices and inflation, America First, and a change in Washington's relationship with Israel. He suggested that supporters of the war openly prove that losing the Senate was worth it.

Election results and Trump's reaction

According to preliminary results, the Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress: The New York Times called the Senate for them (at least 54 of 100 seats), and Associated Press called their majority in the House of Representatives. The opposition unexpectedly won in traditionally Republican states, including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. The new Congress will take office in January 2027. Trump acknowledged the election results but refused to consider the Republicans' defeat his own, and posted a photo of a cap reading VETO; Vance himself predicted the party faces