WASHINGTON: The U.S. midterm elections have dealt a heavy blow to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. With the Democratic Party winning a clear majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, political equations in Washington have changed overnight. The defeat has exposed internal divisions within the White House and pushed differences between Trump and Vice President JD Vance to a severe level.
Reacting openly to the Republicans’ loss of both chambers, Vance said in a lengthy social media post that the Iran war was the main reason the party had lost its Senate majority for the next six years. The remark has become a subject of intense discussion in political circles.
Trump, however, has continued to defend the military action, both during the campaign and after the results. Responding to Vance’s comments, he said he could understand his feelings and acknowledged that the military action had affected the elections, but maintained that the war was justified.
A survey of more than one lakh voters found that 60% of Americans disapproved of the attack on Iran, and that these voters, dissatisfied with the war, voted heavily for the Democrats. Beyond the war, nearly 50% of voters also cited runaway inflation and government corruption as key issues. While Democratic supporters were united in opposing the war, eight out of every 10 people in the Republican base backed Trump’s decision.
Vance, who earlier served as a Marine in the Iraq war, has strongly opposed foreign military interventions from the outset. It is significant that, after the latest defeat, he has raised not only the war but also inflation, relations with Israel and immigration policy. Analysts believe Vance is taking a stance different from Trump’s policies with the 2028 presidential race in mind.
Democrats also surged toward a clean sweep in the states’ gubernatorial elections. Overall, the results have become a major challenge to Trump’s political future. It remains to be seen how the Republican Party will recover from this defeat, and where the Trump–Vance differences will lead.