EXCLUSIVE: WH Official Accuses ‘Establishment Ghouls’ Of Scapegoating Vance’s Peace Deal

A longtime Trump administration official has rejected claims that Vice President JD Vance’s peace memorandum with Iran cost Republicans the 2026 midterms, arguing that opponents are blaming diplomacy for a war that was unpopular with voters. Democrats gained seven Senate seats and dozens of House seats, taking control of both chambers two years after Donald Trump’s election victory.

Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner negotiated the memorandum with Iranian and US leaders, and it was signed in June before eventually collapsing. Commentators on the right have argued that the proposed agreement alienated Republicans, while Vance said the war was the main reason for the defeat. Trump also linked the war to higher petrol prices, though he said he would make the same decision again; a Raymond James study cited in the article found his approval ratings tracked petrol prices rather than the memorandum.