Reporter asks Donald Trump about JD Vance blaming the war in Iran for midterm losses. He admits ‘it’s largely true’, but he would do it again

President Donald Trump addressed questions about the war in Iran on Wednesday, according to Mediaite. The exchange took place in his first public appearance after most candidates he supported lost in the midterm elections. A reporter raised comments made by Vice President JD Vance about why Republicans fell short.

The reporter noted that Vance had said the war was the reason for the losses the night before. Trump replied without waiting for the full question.

“Well, I think it’s largely true, because it drove gasoline up a little bit short-term. And probably that’s, that’s probably it’s true. But at the same time, if I had to do it again, I’d have to do it again, because long-term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump’s answers came hours after Vance posted a long statement on X

Vance had shared an extended post on social media earlier on Wednesday. He wrote, “The reason we lost is the war.” He followed that by saying people should openly state whether they believe the trade-off was justified.

Vance continued in the post: “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”

A reporter asked Trump whether he still viewed the conflict as worthwhile. Trump answered, “I do, yeah. Well, we have to choice. I thought oil would go up a lot more. You have to choice. You have to do it. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon, or everything that you see here some day might not exist.”

Trump also referred to the ballroom project that is currently under construction. He had previously said the building would include a “very powerful ceiling” and be “drone proof, missile proof, and bullet proof.” He indicated that the structure might be the only one remaining if Iran acquired nuclear weapons.

Vance has spoken at several rallies backing candidates endorsed by Trump. He is widely regarded as the Republican most likely to seek the White House after Trump in 2028. Following the results on Tuesday night, Vance’s position in prediction markets declined while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s standing increased. DeSantis has remained outside the current administration.

The Wednesday exchange came after Vance laid out his view that the war drove the election outcome. Trump’s replies covered both the short-term effects on fuel costs and his position that the action was still necessary. He maintained that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon under any circumstances. Meanwhile, the war’s price tag keeps climbing, with costs soaring up to $47 billion.