Trump Says the Iran War Played a Role, and He Would Do It Again

President Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran, chiefly through what it did to prices at the pump, played a part in the beating Republicans took in Tuesday's midterm elections. At the same time, he made clear he is not sorry about it and would do it again.

Democrats were preparing to take control of both the House and the Senate, Reuters reported. Final seat totals and race calls had not been confirmed as of this writing, and the notes do not establish final control of either chamber.

It matters because the president's own account of the losses is now on the record, along with an unsettled war and a likely veto fight with a Democratic-led Congress. A caution on sourcing: the Fox News, Wall Street Journal and New York Times interview quotes below come to us secondhand, and we could not check them against transcripts or the original Truth Social post.

Gas, Iran and a Decision He Would Repeat

In a televised phone interview with Fox News late Tuesday, Mr. Trump tied the gas price spike directly to Iran, saying "the gasoline was caused by Iran." That is his framing. Reuters and Al Jazeera said only that the war played a role in the losses.

He did not back away from the war itself. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he said, according to Al Jazeera: "I did the right thing. I would have done it again." At a White House event Wednesday celebrating his ballroom, he said, "You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." That detail comes from a Washington Times headline and search snippet, which we did not read in full.

The same snippet cited a poll in which 74 percent of respondents called the Iran war a crucial or major factor in their vote. The pollster and the survey dates could not be confirmed from the available material, and the figure does not say which way those voters leaned. Mr. Trump has also claimed that people agree with what he is doing on Iran, but nothing in the available reporting supports that.

One search snippet from the New Arab describes his stance as at odds with his "no new wars" campaign promise. We have not read the full piece. He had suggested the war would end around the midterms, but left open renewed strikes if talks fail.

The Ballot, the Candidates and Abbott

Mr. Trump told the New York Times that Republicans could not turn out enough voters because "I wasn't on the ticket." He also said some candidates he endorsed had "fought" him and that some had flaws, according to Al Jazeera, which noted the many rallies he held for candidates.

The sharpest example was Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott lost, Al Jazeera reported. In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump blamed Mr. Abbott having become a "RINO." Before the election, the president had said presidents tend to lose midterms.

Republican strategist James Davis told Al Jazeera the war helped shift the electorate toward Democrats, but argued the bigger problem was a lack of clear messaging on strategy. He also cited higher energy and diesel costs.

A Veto Pen and No Cabinet Shake-Up

Mr. Trump signaled he is ready for a fight with the incoming majority. In the Fox interview, Reuters reported, he said Democrats would send him legislation he considers "insane" and that he would veto it. Al Jazeera reported that he also posted an image of his red cap reading "veto."

He said he plans no changes to his cabinet and that the result "had nothing to do with" it. He said he would work with Democrats but ruled out cooperating on transgender care for minors.

What Comes Next

The immediate questions are the final House and Senate tallies, the shape of the first veto standoffs if Democrats take control, and whether Iran talks hold or give way to new strikes. Republican reaction and the fallout from Mr. Abbott's loss are also still to be seen.