Trump reacts to JD Vance’s scathing midterms critique — but says he should have gone further

President Donald Trump said JD Vance was right to link Republican losses in the midterm elections to the war in Iran, despite many people disliking the vice-president’s remarks. Trump said the criticism had not harmed their relationship, but argued Vance should also have said he would support attacking Iran again.

Vance blamed the war for Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress and winning a majority of state governorships. In a 618-word post on X, he criticised the Republican establishment and acknowledged that voters who had warned against the war had been right. Trump said some voters objected to the war and rising petrol prices, while defending the conflict as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.