Trump acknowledges Iran war was part of Republicans defeat

• Trump cited the war in Iran—specifically surging gas and oil prices—as a partial reason for Republican midterm losses
• He rejected the notion that the defeats were a referendum on his leadership, blaming poor candidate quality and his absence from the ballot.
• Trump confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remains secure, ruled out cabinet changes, and signaled plans to either negotiate with Democrats

US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday night that the ongoing war in Iran was partly responsible for widespread Republican defeats in the midterm elections, while insisting he does not regret launching the military offensive earlier this year.

"Iran was a piece of it," Trump told The Wall Street Journal in a telephone interview when questioned on whether the conflict played a role in the party's poor electoral performance.

Despite the war eroding his administration's approval ratings, dragging on for months, and prompting private complaints to aides regarding its persistent challenges, Trump dismissed any second thoughts over his decision.

"I don’t think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again," he stated.

Trump argued that the primary political damage arose from the economic fallout -specifically surges in energy costs- rather than the military campaign itself.

Spikes in gasoline and diesel prices driven by the conflict have generated significant frustration among American voters.

The US president rejected assessments that the election results served as a public repudiation of his presidency, even as Democrats notched victories in traditionally Republican strongholds such as Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas, alongside marked declines in his state-level polling numbers.

"It was a point in time, and I wasn’t on the ballot," Trump said. "The biggest issue is that I wasn’t on the ballot."

He disputed arguments that voter dissatisfaction stemmed from broader economic conditions or allegations of administration corruption, adding that he did not regret omitting the economy from his campaign trail speeches more frequently.

Addressing the leadership of the war effort, Trump affirmed that he has no intention of making personnel adjustments within his cabinet, voicing explicit confidence in US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. "I think he’s terrific actually," Trump said.

At the same time, Trump placed responsibility on the slate of contenders, stating that certain Republican candidates "could have been better."

"Some of them had a lot of flaws, and obviously they were not acceptable to the voters," he remarked, adding, "You know, you can only do so much."

Several losing candidates had received Trump’s direct backing, including Republican Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was defeated in his US Senate race by Democrat James Talarico.

Commenting on Graham and Paxton, Trump said: "I tried to help them. Darline worked very hard, they worked hard. But they both didn’t make it."

Trump did not dispute the legitimacy of Tuesday's election outcome. Looking ahead to governance with the incoming Congress, he expressed an intention to work alongside Democrats while warning that he remains prepared to deploy his presidential veto.

"I think we’ll work with the Democrats, and we’ll get along very well with them. If we don’t, we’ll be very tough on them, they’ll be very tough on us," he said. When asked specifically which Democratic lawmakers he anticipated working with, Trump did not offer names.

Reflecting on the night's losses, Trump concluded: "It’s just the way the ball bounces sometimes."