President Trump doubled down on defending the Iran war, despite acknowledging this week that the nine-month conflict contributed to Republicans’ crushing defeat in Tuesday’s midterms.
Mr. Trump took to social media Friday to insist that preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons was worth the political consequences.
“Israel and, in fact, the entire Middle East would not exist today if I did not stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Nobody wants to say that, but everybody knows it’s true,” Mr. Trump said.
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He has not expressed any regret over the military campaign even as Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress amid widespread voter frustration over rising gasoline prices.
The president continues to argue that letting Iran develop nuclear weapons would have posed a far greater threat to the U.S. than the short-term economic disruption caused by the fighting.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump told reporters, “I did the right thing” on Iran.
“If I had to do it again, I’d do it again because, long-term, it’s the only answer. You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The president’s unwavering defense has also exposed possible tensions within his administration. Vice President J.D. Vance offered a more pointed assessment of the Republican defeat, declaring on social media that the war was responsible for the party’s losses.
Mr. Trump acknowledged that assessment but maintained that the military campaign was justified.
His 2024 campaign included promises to avoid prolonged foreign conflicts. Democrats successfully linked the fighting to higher energy prices and broader affordability concerns, arguing that Americans were paying the price for a war that dragged on far longer than the administration initially anticipated.
The election results now leave Mr. Trump facing a Democratic-controlled Congress that is expected to intensify scrutiny of his handling of the conflict, even as he retains substantial authority over military operations.
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