- Trump admits Iran war impacted 2026 midterm election results.
- Despite losses, Trump defends decision to attack Iran.
- Blames Republican candidates, media for party's poor performance.
Following a major setback in the 2026 US midterm elections, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the Iran war had impacted the midterm results but maintained that the 'Iran thing' was something he had to do.
On Wednesday, Trump admitted that the US-Israeli war against Iran contributed to his party's sweeping defeat, with Democrats winning control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
"I think a part of it was Iran," Trump told Fox News in an interview; "Iran was a piece of it," he told The Wall Street Journal.
⚡️ BREAKING: Trump admits Republicans lost the elections because of the war with Iran “Because the war caused gas prices to rise slightly for a short time,” the US president said.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 4, 2026
Despite the Republican losses on Tuesday and his campaign promise of "no new wars", Trump stood by his decision to attack Iran.
"I did the right thing," he said in his interview with The Wall Street Journal. "I would have done it again."
The joint US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its ninth month has become a major issue for American voters. During the election campaign, Democratic candidates across the country repeatedly blamed the conflict for pushing up the cost of petrol and other essential goods.
As the results came in, Trump lashed out at Republican candidates and the media, holding them responsible for his party's poor performance.
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His reactions, many of them shared on Truth Social, ranged from measured responses to angry outbursts as the election results continued to come in.
"The Fox News poll, always the worst, is so insulting with the questions they ask. Every question is a hit job, and every answer is BULLSHIT! This has been going on for years," Trump said.
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Trump had held 30 rallies during the campaign, urging voters to turn out as though he himself were on the ballot. But after the Republican defeat, he appeared to distance himself from the results, blaming the candidates instead.
"I wasn't on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE," Trump said as the results pointed to a strong Democratic wave.
Republicans also lost Texas, a traditionally Republican stronghold, to the Democrats. In response, Trump took aim at outgoing Governor Gregg Abbott, questioning his commitment to the party.
Trump also appeared to leave the door open to working with Democrats, although he warned that the next two years could be marked by political gridlock. He threatened to use his presidential veto power to block their legislative agenda.
"I don't want to be just sitting there for two years vetoing everything," he told Politico.
Trump also shared a photo of a red cap bearing the word 'veto' in bold letters, hinting that he could rely on executive orders to push his agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency.
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However, his subsequent media interviews suggested a willingness to work with Democrats rather than spend the rest of his term blocking their proposals.
"I don't want to be just sitting there for two years vetoing everything," Trump told Politico, a media outlet he had banned from covering the White House.