After Republican losses in Congress, Vance says America needs to 'change its relationship with Israel'

Vice President JD Vance blamed the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections on the Iran war, and said that voters want the United States to “change our relationship with Israel.”

Vance’s comments came in a lengthy post to his social media account, in which he appeared to be framing the election results as a condemnation of President Donald Trump’s decision to engage in military action against the Islamic Republic, and the failure to “put America first.”

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote in his post Wednesday evening.

“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," Vance continued. "And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”

The vice president also said the Democratic Party won because many GOP voters voted Democrat instead.

“The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026,” Vance wrote.

Vance cited an unnamed pollster that reportedly identified the top four issues for voters who supported Trump in 2024 but voted Democrat in 2026.

Vance said the pollster “asked those voters who had abandoned us what would cause them to come back on our team. The top four answers, accounting for nearly all of the responses, were: 1) End the war, 2) Focus on cost of living/inflation, 3) Put America First, 4) Change our relationship to Israel,” Vance wrote.

Vance, who was reported to have opposed the military action in Iran from the beginning, appeared to be using the issue of the Iran war to position himself as an alternative to Trump’s policies, while claiming that the voting base is the one demanding the change in the relationship with Israel.

The Vice President has been critical of Israel since entering office, and has politically aligned himself with figures like Tucker Carlson, who have reversed their previous support for Israel, and have become highly critical of the Jewish State and the U.S.’s close military and economic partnership with it.

In his post, Vance specifically mentioned Fox News conservative personality Rachel Campos-Duffy for her comments, calling for a diplomatic resolution to the war.

“It turns out her political advice was sound,” Vance said of Duffy’s comments, without mentioning that the Fox News host had blamed Israel for the failure to reach a deal through negotiations.

“The peace deal with Iran could be a great move for the world, but Israel’s not making things easy,” Duffy said in a broadcast on the platform.

An Israeli account on social media wrote, “Vance is blaming Israel. Who could have seen that coming?”

@JDVance Well, well, well. Vance is blaming Israel. Who could have seen that coming?

— נועה מגיד | Noa magid (@NoaMagid) November 4, 2026

President Trump did not dispute Vance’s comments, acknowledging on Tuesday that rising gasoline prices had an apparent effect on the election results. However, the president also said that he would make the same choice again.

“I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short term,” he told reporters while touring a construction site outside the White House. “But at the same time, if I had it to do 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.”

Trump responds to Vance: "The election loss was due to the war against Iran — but we cannot allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons, and we have no other choice." https://t.co/mdJQsbdCWl

— Roaring Lion 🦁 🇮🇱🦅🇺🇲 (@12_31_84) November 5, 2026

“I knew the war was gonna impact [the election],” he added. “I would’ve done nothing different.”

The president also said “The war will end whenever I want it to. But it’s got to be done right.”

In an interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns on Tuesday, the president reiterated his belief that the decision to attack Iran was the correct one.

“A lot of people say the oil price is because of Iran, but I’m very—I am totally convinced that my decision on Iran, for the long-term good of our country and even the world, was an absolutely correct one, and it continues to be,” President Trump told Burns.