The war in Iran appears to have played a significant role in the midterm results, particularly for Republicans, who lost control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday.
Exit polls found that 34% of voters considered the conflict crucial to their decision, while 40% called it a major factor and 19% said it mattered somewhat. Among those who rated it crucial, 27% were Republicans. Republicans made up 42% of voters who said it was a major factor.
Iran had already emerged as a major concern before the election. In a Gallup survey, 47% of respondents said the situation was extremely important to their vote, and another 30% said it was very important.
President Donald Trump told Fox News that Iran was partly responsible for the Republican losses. He also acknowledged that the conflict had pushed up gasoline prices, which hurt his party at the polls.
Still, Trump argued the military action would matter more in the long run than the election results. He said Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and maintained he had no choice but to act, criticizing the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama.
The conflict began on Feb. 28, despite Trump’s long-standing criticism of costly foreign interventions and his past promise to end what he called “endless wars.” The operation’s projected cost has reached about $47.1 billion, according to an estimate shared with Congress last month.
Public support remains low: a polling average puts approval of the conflict at 35.9%, while 56.5% oppose it. Trump told the Wall Street Journal he believed he had made the right decision and would make it again.
Some conservative commentators have argued that opposing Iran’s nuclear ambitions is not the same as committing the United States to a prolonged conflict with no clear endpoint. Others have blamed the war for the Republican defeat, calling it a major political mistake and a departure from “America First” principles.
