Vance blames the war, Trump concedes part of it
On Tuesday evening, 3 November 2026, as midterm results came in, Donald Trump told Fox News host Martha MacCallum:
I think a part of it was Iran.
Republicans lost the midterm elections, and Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress. On Wednesday morning, 4 November, Vice President JD Vance posted a lengthy analysis on X naming the Iran war as the main reason for the defeat. CNN analyst Stephen Collinson read the post as Vance throwing Trump under the bus to keep his 2028 hopes alive. Trump did not dispute the substance. Asked about it, he called the analysis largely accurate and said the war had briefly pushed up gasoline prices.
Trump also said he would make the same decision again, because Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. Donald Trump Jr. publicly backed Vance, and Vance shared a video of Trump's positive reaction to his post. Trump describes the war as one factor in the defeat, while Vance presents it as the decisive one.
- Midterm elections; Democrats win majorities in both chambers of Congress
- Trump tells Fox News that part of the defeat was Iran
- Vance posts analysis on X naming the Iran war as the reason for the loss
- Hegseth posts a four-minute video defending his record
- Massie plans to bring impeachment articles against Hegseth
- Democrats plan hearings on Hegseth and the Iran war
Hegseth becomes the focus of blame
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 46, a former Fox News host and former National Guard officer, is under pressure from Democrats, who blame him for his role in the war and plan hearings from January 2027. Some Republicans also want him removed. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries asked why Hegseth was still in the job.
Trump has so far stood by him. Asked on Wednesday whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump said he thought Hegseth was doing a very good job. In an interview with ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump acknowledged complaints about Hegseth but said he firmly intended to keep him in office.
A Trump adviser told Spiegel that Hegseth could be next on the list of officials to go, and that someone would be blamed for the defeat, though not Trump himself.
Impeachment threat and Hegseth's defiant reply
Republican Thomas Massie, who could not seek reelection in Kentucky, plans to bring articles of impeachment against Hegseth in Congress in the week of 9 November 2026. He said he would drop the move if Hegseth resigned, and the article notes the motion has no chance of success. Massie called it a much milder version of what would follow once Democrats control Congress.
Hegseth has not offered to step down. On Thursday, 5 November, he posted a four-minute video on X, filmed at the Pentagon entrance with a 'Department of War' plaque in view. He compared the attacks on him to the impeachment efforts against Trump, said the campaign of personal destruction would fail, and defended the Iran war as something the department would finish.
Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he would confront Hegseth, calling him incompetent and corrupt. Adam Smith, the committee's top Democrat, promised rigorous oversight of the Defense Department and the administration, particularly what he called the illegal war against Iran, which Trump ordered without congressional approval.
War costs and military leadership in focus
The war led Tehran to partially block the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oil and gas shipments from the Middle East and driving up fuel and energy prices that angered American voters. The government is seeking approval of a 1.5 trillion dollar defense spending package at the same time.
Military leadership is also under scrutiny. According to a Washington Post report, citing people around the Trump administration, Trump could dismiss chief of staff Dan Caine (57) or Admiral Brad Cooper (51) instead.