Trump says many disliked Vance's Iran comments but Vance was right except on one point
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One
Asked by reporters in West Palm Beach whether Vance's comments on the Iran war have affected their relationship, Trump says they have not and that many people did not like the comments, though he did. He says Vance was right except that he should have said the war was worth doing again, and says it will go down in history as one of the best things his administration did.
“A lot of people didn't like his comments, but not me ... He was right, other than one thing ... one statement that I think is very important ... If you had it to do again, would you do it again? The answer is yes. ... this historically, for history, will go down as one of the best things we ever did”
Original text
Reporting
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump calls Vance's assessment largely true but says he would go to war againEarlier: Defended or excused
- Trump cites the war, gas prices and dislike of Israel for the midterm lossesLater: Defended or excused
- Trump says the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran and tells Vance to focus on crimeLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Vance blames the Iran war for Republicans' midterm losses; Trump says he would do it again
The morning after Democrats won both chambers of Congress in the November 3, 2026 midterms, Vice President JD Vance wrote that the reason Republicans lost is the war with Iran. Trump called that largely true but said he would make the same decision again.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Roll Call Factba.se transcript of President Trump's exchange with reporters before boarding Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida, on the evening of November 8, 2026. Near the end a reporter asks whether Vance's comments about the Iran war have affected their relationship.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Daily Beast report on Trump's November 8, 2026, remarks to reporters in West Palm Beach about Vance's post blaming the Iran war for the midterm losses, and on his 60 Minutes interview that aired the same evening. It also quotes responses from Vance's communications director and the White House Rapid Response account.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
At the end of an exchange with reporters before Air Force One left West Palm Beach on Sunday evening, a reporter asks whether Vance's comments questioning decisions on Iran have affected their relationship. Trump answers that they have not.
After the quotation
Trump adds that if Iran ever had a nuclear weapon it would blow up the world, then ends the exchange. His 60 Minutes interview aired later that evening.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Trump administration's decision to go to war with Iran and keep fighting it, judged by its political cost: Vance's claim that the war is the reason Republicans lost the November 3, 2026 midterms. Trump accepts Vance's diagnosis of the losses but says Vance should have added that the war was worth fighting, and calls it one of the best things his administration has done. He defends the decision despite its political cost.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full casePence says voters were frustrated not because Trump started the Iran war but because the administration did not finish it
“I disagree with the vice president about the reasons for the midterm election outcome. ... There's no question that the war in Iran became a frustration for millions of Americans, but it wasn't because President Trump started the war or took on Iran. It's because we stopped short and didn't finish it”Read statement
Randy Fine says Vance's post-election message blamed Jews for the losses
“I definitively will not be supporting the vice president in that nominating contest. I thought his message that he put out the day after the election was abhorrent and, frankly, smacked of the kind of thing you'd read in 1932 Germany ... He's out in my book ... He blamed the Jews for losing the election.”Read statement
Tillis says he does not buy Vance's explanation and points to turnout
“I don't buy it ... JD needs to go back and really look at the cross-tabs, needs to look at the turnout in my state ... That's why we lost”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Trump says many disliked Vance's Iran comments but Vance was right except on one point
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/8487-asked-by-reporters-in-west-palm-beach-whether
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Trump says many disliked Vance's Iran comments but Vance was right except on one point". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8487-asked-by-reporters-in-west-palm-beach-whether