Vice President JD Vance delivered a blunt rebuke of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran on Wednesday as he considers his political future and a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
In an extended post on X, Vance sharply assessed the Republican Party’s election losses, arguing that the conflict in Iran played a central role. He also appealed to GOP voters to give the MAGA movement another opportunity to regain momentum.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote.
He challenged supporters of the military action to acknowledge the political consequences of urging the United States into another conflict in the Middle East.
“If you want to argue that it was worth it—that losing the Senate for the next six years was a price worth paying—then make that case. Say it was a cost worth bearing. Whether people agree or disagree, at least that would be honest,” he said.
Vance published the message shortly before his motorcade reached the White House, where he was scheduled to attend private meetings.
Trump, meanwhile, had withdrawn from public view at the White House for a series of private policy discussions. No public appearances were listed on his schedule.
In a late-night Fox News interview, Trump acknowledged that soaring gasoline prices had hurt Republicans at the polls and were one of the negative consequences of the Iran war.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the midterm election results on Wednesday
Vance devoted long stretches of the campaign to supporting Republican candidates in the midterms
“I understand that, but I don’t agree with it. It’s a short-term problem for long-term gain… The gasoline prices were caused by Iran,” Trump said.
Vance had privately warned Trump against entering the war, although he largely avoided criticizing the decision publicly for most of the year.
He had asked Trump supporters to remain patient, portraying the conflict as something other than a “forever war” in the Middle East like the prolonged and unpopular campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also urged caution in private before the United States went to war with Iran. After the operation failed to produce the swift outcome Trump had promised, Rubio likewise limited his public commentary.
On Wednesday, however, Vance offered his clearest public criticism yet, acknowledging the depth of frustration among Trump’s supporters over the decision.
The vice president referred to findings from several pollsters he trusts, saying the data showed that Trump voters turned out but delivered a serious warning to Republican leaders.
“I felt negative going into Tuesday, but even I was shocked by this,” he wrote.
According to Vance, the polling indicated that Trump voters wanted the Iran conflict brought to an end, while demanding greater attention to the cost of living and persistent inflation.
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio privately cautioned against the Iran war as they consider their political futures
Vice President JD Vance outlined what he believed Republicans got wrong during the midterm elections
Vance also pointed to polling suggesting that Trump voters wanted the administration to put “America first” and reconsider the country’s relationship with Israel.
Although Vance has been a prominent defender of Trump’s deportation agenda, he rejected the idea that granting “amnesty” to undocumented immigrants would solve the immigration issue.
“I’m open to changing how enforcement works—for example, by focusing more heavily on businesses that hire illegal labor. But anyone advocating amnesty is lying to you,” he said, warning that political commentators would inevitably try to “gaslight” voters on immigration.
Vance said he remained “hopeful” about the country’s future and urged frustrated Trump supporters not to disengage from politics after the Republican setbacks.
“To those who are angry and want to say, ‘I told you so’: You’re right—you did tell us so,” he wrote. “Put that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview. And to those who are simply furious about the results, you should be. Let’s channel that anger into the work of saving our country.”
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