Vance blames midterm loss on 'the war'
The gist
Vice President JD Vance said "the reason we lost is the war," pointing to the U.S. conflict with Iran.
Democrats are projected to take the Senate, and the blame fight shapes the GOP's 2028 field.
How it unfolded
- Feb 2026The U.S. attack on Iran began with strikes, in collaboration with Israel; Trump pledged it would last only four to five weeks.
- Sep 2, 2026Top aides to Trump pushed to keep the Iran war from escalating before the Nov. 3 midterms, fearing the unpopular conflict could cost Republicans Congress, according to four people familiar with White House discussions.
- Sep 3, 2026Asked if the war would end before the midterms, Vance said, "I wouldn't call it a war right now," adding that "there is no active shooting."