JD Vance Blames Iran War for Republicans’ Midterm Losses

U.S. Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for Republicans’ losses in the 2026 midterms, saying voters who had supported the party turned to Democrats even as turnout held up across states.

In a post on X Wednesday, Vance said the party’s problem was not a collapse in participation. He cited Florida’s voter composition as still favoring Republicans by about 9 percentage points, only a few points below 2024, and said many voters who backed him and President Donald Trump that year switched parties.

Vance said a pollster’s survey of voters who had defected ranked ending the war first among reasons they might return, followed by the cost of living, an America First focus and a change in U.S. relations with Israel. He also rejected amnesty as a remedy for the losses, while saying enforcement could focus more on companies that hire undocumented workers.

Trump previously assigned Vance to lead U.S.-Iran negotiations.