Republicans seek culprits for midterms debacle but fall short of pointing to Trump

Republicans are trying to explain their midterm defeat, but party figures have largely avoided blaming Donald Trump, despite his prominent role in the campaign. The article argues that their reluctance to confront him reflects a pattern of protecting his standing even after setbacks, leaving the party without a clear public account of what went wrong.

Vice-President J. D. Vance cited the war with Iran and its effect on petrol prices, while saying Trump had raised the issue first; Trump also blamed the conflict and said he had not been on the ballot. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not seek to lead the party in the next Congress. The article compares the response with Republican reactions after the 2021 Capitol attack and the 2022 midterms, when Trump also damaged the party’s prospects.