Trump admits Iran war, oil prices led to Republicans’ midterm loss; but says would ‘do it again’

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war in Iran and the resulting rise in fuel prices contributed to the Republican Party’s poor performance in the midterm elections. However, despite admitting the political fallout of the conflict, Trump has remained unapologetic, insisting that launching the military campaign was necessary and that he would make the same decision again.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump agreed that the conflict had played a big role in the Republicans’ electoral setback, particularly because it pushed up gasoline prices in the short term. His remarks came after Vice President JD Vance attributed the party’s losses to the administration’s military campaign against Iran. “Well, I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term,” Trump told reporters when asked about Vance’s assessment.

However, the US President maintained that the long-term security considerations outweighed the immediate economic and political consequences. Defending his decision to launch the war, he said the United States could not afford to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. “But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I would have to do it again. Because long term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump says US military campaign against Iran was necessary

Despite acknowledging the impact of rising fuel prices on the Republican electoral performance, Trump ruled out any possibility that he would have handled the military campaign differently. The President claimed that the American military had inflicted extensive damage on Iran’s defence capabilities, asserting that the country’s major military assets had been effectively destroyed.

“But I can tell you that as far as that war is concerned, I would have done nothing different. We have totally broken their military. The navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone,” Trump said.

Trump also defended the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a substantial share of the world’s oil supply passes. He claimed that oil shipments through the strait had resumed in significant volumes compared with the initial phase of the conflict.

“The Iran thing, we had to do, and we continue to do it. We have tremendous oil flowing out of the Hormuz Strait now. At the beginning, there was none. And, probably, that’s the primary reason – the price, not the war, the price (of oil),” Trump said.

Trump backs Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth amid criticism

Amid growing public dissatisfaction over the US military engagement with Iran, Trump also expressed confidence in Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, dismissing speculation that he could be replaced over the handling of the conflict. Asked whether he was considering a change at the Pentagon, Trump said he was not contemplating replacing Hegseth and praised his performance. Hegseth is “doing a great job”, he said.

The remarks came against the backdrop of mounting political scrutiny over the administration’s Iran policy and its domestic consequences. The Republican electoral setback has intensified questions over the political costs of the military campaign and the administration’s handling of its economic impact.

JD Vance blames Iran war for Republicans’ midterm setback

The political fallout of the Iran conflict has also exposed differences in how senior members of the Trump administration have explained the Republican losses. Vice President JD Vance directly linked the party’s poor midterm performance to Trump’s military campaign against Iran. Vance, who is widely viewed as a potential Republican presidential contender and Trump’s possible successor, pointed to the war as a major factor behind the electoral setback. However, Trump’s response reflected a clear distinction between the short-term political consequences and what he described as the long-term national security interests of the United States. While acknowledging that higher oil prices hurt Republicans at the ballot box, he maintained that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons justified the military action, regardless of its immediate political cost.

(With inputs from PTI)

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