Trump Says Iran War Was Part of Republican Midterm Losses as Democrats Win Congress

President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview after the midterm elections that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran played a role in Republican losses, as Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. "I think a part of it was Iran," he said, adding that people understood the importance of what he had done with Iran. Trump also said Democrats would send over bills he called insane, that he would veto them, and that after a couple of months of vetoes they would call to ask how to get things done. In a separate New York Times interview, he said he was willing to accept the results and expected to work something out with Democrats. The war began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. On Wednesday, Lebanon's prime minister, Nawaf Salam, warned against dragging Lebanon into renewed fighting, in a message seemingly aimed at Hezbollah. The Lebanese health ministry says almost 9,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 7, 2023, and a fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has held since June.

CBS News, the left-leaning outlet, headlines Iran's claim that the results show Americans rejecting the war. Its opening centers on Salam's warning, Hezbollah's role, the Lebanese death toll and Lebanon as a sticking point in U.S.-Iran talks. Trump's remarks do not appear in the portion available. The Washington Times, on the right, leads with Trump's statement, calling the result a Democratic landslide and saying Republicans lost both chambers, but it offers only a short excerpt with no further quotes. The Washington Times dates Trump's remarks to Tuesday, while France 24 says Wednesday. Both sides tie the Iran war to the election, but the left looks at how Iran and Lebanon read the outcome, while the right presents it as Trump's own acknowledgment. Alternative outlets France 24 and Middle East Eye mostly match the right on Trump's admission, though Middle East Eye adds his veto and cooperation quotes.