Trump says Vance was right on midterms but would choose Iran war again

President Donald Trump said Sunday he does not disagree with Vice President JD Vance that the Iran war cost Republicans the midterms, although "a lot of people didn't like his comments."

Trump addressed the issue with reporters before boarding Air Force One at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida. He also discussed it with Ross Douthat in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday night.

Vance had blamed the war in a lengthy Nov. 4 X post, a day after Democrats won both the House and the Senate.

Asked if those comments had affected his relationship with Vance, Trump said, "No, not at all. But a lot of people didn't like his comments, but not me."

Trump said Vance "was right, other than one thing": Vance had not addressed whether he would make the Iran war decision again. "If you had it to do again, would you do it again? The answer is yes," Trump told reporters.

Trump told CBS that Vance had participated in the decision and that the question was the only issue he wished Vance had addressed. Vance had sought his view before posting, Trump said, and he told the vice president, "You write what you want."

"I think, historically, this will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not," Trump said in the interview.

Trump told reporters the war would rank among his administration's best actions in history, saying Iran would "blow up the world" with a nuclear weapon because "they're crazy."

CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak described Trump's airport remarks as a "striking rebuke" of Vance, Mediaite reported. Vance's communications director, Taylor Van Kirk, disputed the way a clip posted by Rupar portrayed the remarks.

"Dishonest out of context clip from Rupar yet again!" Van Kirk wrote on X on Monday. She shared the complete video, which shows Trump saying "but not me."

Dishonest out of context clip from Rupar yet again!

Here’s the full clip of POTUS where he says “but not me”

— Taylor Van Kirk (@VPCommsDir) November 9, 2026

The White House's Rapid Response account wrote on X that "ZERO DAYLIGHT" separated Trump and Vance on Iran. [P2]

A lot of people are hellbent on creating division where it doesn't exist, but the fact is there is ZERO DAYLIGHT between @POTUS and @VP on Iran — as @POTUS has repeatedly stated.@POTUS (TODAY): "A lot of people didn't like his comments, but not me. He was right." 1/

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 9, 2026

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote in his Nov. 4 post.

In that post, Vance challenged war supporters to defend the electoral cost. "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," he wrote.

Vance listed four priorities for winning back Trump 2024 voters who supported Democrats, including ending the war and addressing the cost of living. The others were putting America First and changing the U.S. relationship with Israel.

Outside the White House on Nov. 4, Trump said of the post, "Well, I think it's largely true." He also said he would choose war with Iran again. The Telegraph reported that the post blindsided Trump. Inquisitr could not independently verify that account.

Donald Trump Jr. replied, "Every word of this is [100%]," according to The Telegraph. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and former Republican National Committee chair, praised Vance for discussing issues "important for the future" of the party. Some commentators on the right called him "disloyal."

Democrats flipped at least seven Senate seats and more than two dozen House districts, according to Fox News.

The U.S. and Israel began coordinated strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, when Trump predicted a four- to five-week war. Vance had said on Feb. 26 that there was "no chance" of a years-long Middle East war; the first U.S. strikes on Tehran followed less than two days later.

Democrats will hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. The date those majorities will take control was not immediately known.