United States Vice-President JD Vance has blamed President Donald Trump’s war with Iran for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many voters who supported the party in 2024 switched allegiance to the Democrats.

Mr Vance made the remarks in a lengthy post on his X account on Wednesday, arguing that the party’s defeat was not primarily caused by low voter turnout but by dissatisfaction among its traditional supporters.

The Vice-President said internal data analysis had shown that Republican voters turned out in significant numbers across several states, despite opinion polls predicting a strong Democratic victory.

He cited Florida, where the electorate was reportedly nine percentage points more Republican than Democratic, describing the turnout as only slightly weaker than the party’s performance in 2024.

However, he said the major problem was that many voters who backed the Trump-Vance ticket in the previous presidential election voted for Democratic candidates in 2026.

“The main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026,” he said.

Mr Vance added that concerns about the Iran conflict, rising living costs, inflation, America’s foreign policy priorities and its relationship with Israel contributed to the shift.

Four demands from former Republican supporters

According to Mr Vance, a pollster who accurately predicted the election outcome identified four major demands among former Republican supporters who switched to the Democrats.

They included ending the war, prioritising the cost of living and inflation, putting America first, and changing the country’s relationship with Israel.

He acknowledged that the administration might also have failed to communicate its economic policies effectively but maintained that the Iran conflict was central to the party’s electoral setback.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he stated.

Vance challenges supporters to defend war

The Vice-President challenged Republican figures who believed the military campaign was worth its political consequences to defend that position openly.

He warned that the party’s losses could cost Republicans control of the Senate for the next six years.

“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,” he said.

Mr Vance also rejected calls for an amnesty for undocumented immigrants but indicated openness to reviewing immigration enforcement strategies, including targeting businesses that employ undocumented workers.

Trump defends decision to attack Iran

President Trump, however, maintained that the military action against Iran was necessary to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Although he acknowledged that the conflict contributed to the Republican Party’s electoral losses, he insisted he would make the same decision again.

The Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections, dealing a major political setback to the Trump administration.

Despite the defeat, Mr Vance urged disappointed Republican supporters to channel their frustration into rebuilding the party and supporting candidates who share their political beliefs.