Trump says 'great dislike' for Israel, Iran war cost Republicans midterms
10:05, 09/11/2026, Monday
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US President Donald Trump said Sunday that public opposition to the war with Iran, rising fuel costs and what he described as a "great dislike" for Israel were the primary drivers behind Republican losses in last week's midterm congressional elections, which handed Democrats control of both legislative chambers.
Trump links Republican losses to Israel 'dislike' and Iran war
US President Donald Trump on Sunday attributed sweeping Republican losses in last week's midterm elections to public opposition to the war with Iran, rising gasoline prices and what he termed a "great dislike" for Israel, acknowledging the political toll of the military conflict while defending his decision to launch strikes against Tehran's nuclear facilities.
In an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes, Trump said voters had recoiled from the war's economic and humanitarian consequences. "They didn't like the war. They didn't like the fact that gasoline went up," he said. The president added that antipathy toward Israel had also shaped the electoral outcome, stating: "There's a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel. There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that, you have the war itself, you have the gas prices, and I think those are the primary reasons."
'Emphatic yes' on Iran strikes
Despite conceding the war had damaged Republicans politically, Trump maintained he would order the same military action again. "My answer is an emphatic yes because you can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon," he said. He asserted that Washington had emerged victorious from the conflict and that Tehran remained eager to negotiate a settlement, claiming: "We would have had a deal except for this election," suggesting the Democratic victory had disrupted ongoing talks.
Asked whether he intended to escalate hostilities following the opposition's congressional gains, Trump said he saw no cause for further confrontation. "I'm not looking to. I don't think there's any reason to," he said. He repeated his assertion that Israel would not survive without US intervention against Iran's nuclear program.
Democrats secured majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday's elections, dealing a significant setback to Trump's legislative agenda and shifting the balance of power on Capitol Hill less than two years into his second term.