US VP Vance says Iran war is 'the reason we lost' midterms

WASHINGTON: US Vice-President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the Iran war had doomed Republicans in the midterm elections, seeking to distance himself from the unpopular conflict ahead of a possible 2028 White House run.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance said in a lengthy post on X — apparently referring to President Donald Trump's remarks that the Iran war was "part of it" but that it was still justified.

"If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest," Vance added.

"But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there."

The Democratic wave in Tuesday's midterms has raised major questions over Vance's previous status as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2028 presidential election.

He has not yet formally declared that he will run.

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Vance, a longtime vocal critic of US foreign interventionism, had reportedly been sceptical behind the scenes about the war on Iran that Trump and Israel launched in late February.

Vance also acknowledged that Republican voters who backed Trump and him two years ago had switched sides because of the war and its effects on the US economy.

"The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026," Vance said.

He said a pollster he respected had found that the Iran war and the economy were key factors in voters abandoning Republicans, along with a desire to "change our relationship to Israel".