OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump is blaming the war in Iran, Republican candidates and rising gasoline prices for his party's defeat in Tuesday's midterm elections, which saw Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress.Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that he was surprised by the results, after Democrats flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats and won back the House of Representatives.“I thought we would do better,” Trump said, pointing to the large crowds at his campaign rallies.Speaking to Politico, Trump also argued that Republicans would have performed better had he been running himself.“I wasn't on the ballot. If I were on the ballot, I would have won,” Trump told the outlet.The president also acknowledged that the war in Iran had hurt Republicans, although he defended his decision to launch the military campaign alongside Israel earlier this year.“I think a part of it was Iran,” Trump told Fox News, according to Reuters..In a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said the war played a role in the results but insisted he would make the same decision again.“I did the right thing,” Trump said. “I would have done it again.”The comments follow months of Trump blaming Republican campaign messaging, political consultants and even voters for the party's electoral difficulties.According to Bloomberg Government, Trump warned supporters at a Michigan rally last month that they would have themselves to blame if Republicans lost.Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent, who has been critical of the war, urged Trump to change course following Tuesday's results.“Last night was a referendum on the Iran war. The American people have emphatically rejected it, and the results at the polls confirmed what we’ve been warning about for months,” Kent wrote on X.“President Trump needs to understand that he still has the option to course correct on Iran. End the war now. Walk away, and commit the rest of his term to improving the lives of the American people.”Kent also warned Trump against further military escalation, arguing that ending the war could help preserve his political legacy.“Trump still has the power to do the right thing. He can still avert the disaster of a catastrophic escalation. He needs to focus on taking care of his fellow Americans if he has any hope in salvaging his legacy,” Kent wrote..The results also raise questions about the political cost of the war in Iran, which has entered its ninth month and driven up gasoline prices across the United States.An election-night survey cited by Responsible Statecraft found that 62% of voters believed military action against Iran was the wrong decision.The survey, conducted by SSRS for a group of American news organizations, including NBC News, also found that 74% of voters considered the war either a crucial or major factor in their vote.Among Democratic House voters, 95% opposed the decision to attack Iran, compared with 22% of Republican voters.The survey also found that roughly 60% of voters blamed Trump's policies for rising prices rather than factors outside his control.Earlier polling had already suggested that the war was becoming a problem for Republicans..An October Fox News survey found that 75% of registered voters were either extremely or very concerned about the conflict, while an Associated Press-NORC poll found that 62% considered the war one of the most important issues facing the country.Democrats went on to win several races in traditionally Republican states Tuesday.In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state since 1988.Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper also defeated Republican Michael Whatley, while Democrats picked up Senate seats in South Carolina, Ohio and Maine.In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won re-election against Trump-backed Republican congressman Mike Collins by approximately 18 percentage points.The party also made gains in governor races, including Texas, where Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.The Democratic takeover of Congress means Trump will face opposition majorities in both chambers for the remaining two years of his presidency.Democrats will also gain control of congressional committees, including their investigative powers, while the Senate will have the ability to block presidential appointments.Trump has said he is willing to work with Democrats, but has also pointed to his presidential veto as a means of opposing legislation passed by the new Congress.
