WASHINGTON—President Trump said on Tuesday night that the war in Iran was partially to blame for widespread Republican losses in the midterm elections.
But he maintained that he didn’t regret launching the war earlier this year.
The president rejected the notion that the results were a rebuke of his presidency, even as Republicans lost in deep-red states such as Kansas, South Carolina and Texas, and his poll numbers have dropped significantly across many states. He has struggled for months to end the conflict and complained to advisers about how it has become a constant problem. “I don’t think about it. I did the right thing.
Gasoline and diesel prices have shot up as a result of the conflict, frustrating U.S. voters. Because they were frustrated with the economy or alleged corruption inside the Trump administration, he contended that voters weren’t repudiating Republicans.
“Iran was a piece of it,” he said in a phone interview with The Wall Street Journal when asked whether the war contributed to Republicans’ poor performance in the election. The president said he doesn’t have second thoughts about the war, which has dragged down the popularity of his presidency. I would have done it again,” he said. The president said he believed the spike in oil prices—rather than the war itself—was the biggest political liability. He said he didn’t regret not talking about the economy more often on the campaign trail. The president said he had no plans to make personnel changes inside his administration, and he expressed support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has led the war effort. “I think he’s terrific actually,” he said.
