After JD Vance, now Trump Jr blames Iran war for US midterms defeat

Trump Jr endorsed Vance's lengthy post on X

US President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, has backed Vice President JD Vance's blunt assessment of the Republican Party's midterm defeat, throwing the spotlight on divisions within the president's own camp over the Iran war. Trump Jr endorsed Vance's lengthy post on X, in which the vice president blamed the Republicans' electoral setback on the administration's failure to address voters' concerns over the Iran conflict, rising living costs and US foreign policy. "The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote. Barely an hour later, Trump Jr reposted the message, adding: "Every word of this is 💯💯💯." According to Vance, the four main concerns driving their discontent were ending the war, tackling inflation and the cost of living, putting America first and changing the country's relationship with Israel. "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest," Vance wrote. He also acknowledged that voters who had previously warned against the war were justified in their criticism, urging Republicans to use the election setback as an opportunity to reassess their approach.

Trump shifts blame after Republican losses

Trump, meanwhile, sought to distance himself from the Republican defeat, arguing that he was not personally on the ballot. "I wasn't on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!" he wrote on Truth Social shortly after polls closed on Tuesday. Democrats won control of both chambers. The Senate is projected to have 54 Democrats and independents who caucus with them, against 44 Republicans, with two races uncalled. They flipped at least seven Republican-held seats and more than two dozen House districts.