Trump admits the war in Iran contributed to midterm election results
US President Donald Trump arrives to the stage for a midterm campaign rally at Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, Texas on October 27, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump admitted that the Iran war played a part in the midterm election results that saw Republicans taking a significant defeat in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What they're saying:
President Trump spoke with Fox News in a phone interview later in the evening on Tuesday and later to the Wall Street Journal.
"I think a part of it was Iran," Trump told Fox News. "Iran was a piece of it," he separately told The Wall Street Journal.
President Donald Trump, however, continued to defend his decision to launch military strikes against Iran, maintaining that the action was necessary to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon.
The effect of the Iran war
The backstory:
President Donald Trump launched U.S. military operations against Iran in February 2026, sparking a conflict that has faced significant opposition among Americans. The war has also fueled concerns about the economy, with rising fuel prices and higher costs for everyday goods adding to financial pressures on households.
Big picture view:
Throughout the midterm election campaign, Democratic candidates across the country sought to capitalize on those concerns, linking the conflict to rising prices and criticizing the administration's handling of the war. Many made affordability a central campaign issue, arguing that American families were bearing the financial burden of the ongoing conflict.
The other side:
The midterm election results were also celebrated by many in Iran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf took to X, posting "Americans said NO TO WAR."
The Source: This story was written with information provided by Reuters and the X account from the Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. This story was reported from Orlando.