US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran contributed to Republican losses in the November 3 midterm elections, but he also stated that he does not regret launching the military campaign. "I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understood the importance of what I've done with Iran," Trump told Fox News.
Democrats are now set to take control of Congress, dealing a major setback to Trump's legislative agenda. In his interview with Fox News, Trump said that the war had weighed on Republican candidates, while asserting that voters understood the importance of his actions in Iran.
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In a separate telephone interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Trump was asked whether the Iran war had contributed to the Republicans' poor election performance to which he replied "Iran was a piece of it." He stated that he had no second thoughts about launching the war and added that, "I did the right thing. I would have done it again." Trump also identified higher oil prices, rather than the war alone, as the biggest political liability.
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The conflict with Iran has disrupted energy supplies and contributed to higher petrol and gasoline prices. The economic fallout added to concerns over the cost of living, which emerged as a major issue in the midterm elections.
Reuters reported that nearly nine in 10 voters identified the cost of living as a crucial or major factor in their vote, based on exit polls conducted by SSRS for a consortium of US media outlets, including major television networks and the Associated Press.
During his interview with the Wall Street Journal, as reported by Reuters, Trump also addressed how he would deal with a Congress controlled by Democrats. He stated that Democrats would send legislation he regarded as "insane" to his desk and that he would veto it. He predicted that after several months of vetoes, Democrats would approach him to negotiate, saying the parties could then work together.
Trump reportedly did not view the election as a personal rebuke, arguing that he himself had not been on the ballot. He also reportedly said that he did not plan to make personnel changes and praised Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The November 4 election result followed months of warnings that the Iran conflict could hurt Republicans in the Midterms. In March, Reuters had reported that some White House officials and Republican allies had warned Trump that the war could create political risks for the party, particularly if it dragged on or pushed fuel prices higher.
In September, AP reported that an AP-NORC poll found that roughly two-thirds of Americans believed that the war was not worth fighting, including more than one-third Republicans. The war and its economic consequences had also become a prominent issue during the campaign, with critics linking the conflict to higher fuel and household costs.
Trump's post election remarks mark an acknowledgment of the war's political cost, but not a change in his position on the military campaign. The US President continues to maintain that launching the war was the right decision, despite the Republicans' losses in Congress.
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