Trump congratulates Democrats, links Iran war to losses
HKFP · 4 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
US President Donald Trump offered rare public praise for Democrats after midterm results showed Republicans losing control of Congress, while insisting he did not see the outcome as a personal rebuke. He said the war with Iran was part of the reason for the defeat, later agreeing it was “largely true” that the conflict drove the losses because it pushed up gasoline prices in the short term. Vice President JD Vance took a sharper line, saying flatly that “the reason we lost is the war” and distancing himself from the policy after Democrats captured both the House and Senate. Even so, Trump said he would still have launched the war again because, in his view, Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Key Points
- In a telephone interview with FOX News Democracy 26 on Tuesday, Trump said: “Congratulations to the Democrats. They did a good job.”
- Trump said he accepted the midterm result, unlike his refusal to accept the 2020 presidential election outcome, and said he could work with Democrats on many issues
- He also warned he was prepared to veto Democratic legislation, saying he could send back “50 different great bills” with a “veto” stamp
- Vance wrote on X on Wednesday that “the reason we lost is the war,” and said an earlier recommendation to end the conflict had been sound advice.
- Democrats were projected to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate after sweeping gains, including in Republican strongholds.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the story points to possible policy volatility in Washington as a weakened White House faces a Democratic-controlled Congress while still weighing whether to restart major combat operations against Iran. It also underlines how overseas conflict and energy prices can quickly reshape US domestic politics, with potential knock-on effects for global markets and sentiment in Asia.