WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the ongoing war with Iran played a key role in the Republican Party’s severe losses during the 2026 midterm elections, while insisting that his own absence from the ballot prevented a conservative victory.
Speaking following the Democratic Party’s historic sweep of both houses of Congress, Trump conceded that voter concerns over foreign conflict and surging energy prices weighed heavily on down-ballot Republicans across key battleground states.
Addressing the electoral setback in post-election media interviews, Trump noted that foreign policy pressures and economic burdens influenced public sentiment, even as he defended his administration’s military posture against Tehran. “I think part of it was Iran,” Trump said, while adding that voters nonetheless recognized the strategic necessity of preventing a nuclear-armed state.
The president also offered congratulations to congressional Democrats while dismissing the idea that the defeat represented a personal political rebuke, emphasizing on social media, “I wasn’t on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won in a landslide.”
The presidential remarks come as Washington prepares for a period of divided government following Democratic gains in high-stakes Senate and House contests.
Despite the political realignment on Capitol Hill, Trump expressed confidence in managing a Democratic-controlled Congress, highlighting his executive authority to issue presidential vetoes against opposing legislation while leaving open the possibility of future bipartisan negotiations.
AFP
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