Trump cites the war, gas prices and dislike of Israel for the midterm losses
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, interviewed by Ross Douthat for CBS's 60 Minutes
President Trump says voters did not like the Iran war or higher gas prices when asked why Republicans lost the midterms, in an extended 60 Minutes interview released Nov. 8, 2026.
Excerpt from 0:03 to 1:43 of the extended 60 Minutes interview. Taken from CBS News's own video page. The CBS transcript cited for this source covers the same interview. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: CBS News (60 Minutes). Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Transcript, Trump's first answer on why Republicans lost the midterms)
Asked by Ross Douthat on 60 Minutes to explain the Republican midterm losses, Trump says he was not on the ballot and that voters did not like the war or the rise in gasoline prices. He says there is also a great dislike of Israel, and names the war, gas prices and that dislike as the primary reasons.
“They didn't like the war. They didn't like the fact that gasoline went up, 'cause I had it down at a low. ... a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel. There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that. You have the war itself. You have the gas prices. And I think those are the primary reasons.”
Interview
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 says many disliked Vance's Iran comments but Vance was right except on one pointEarlier: 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
Interview
About this source
CBS News transcript of President Trump's interview with Ross Douthat for 60 Minutes, broadcast November 8, 2026. Douthat opens by asking Trump for his analysis of the Republican losses in the midterm elections, and later asks about Vance's post blaming the Iran war.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Before the quotation
In the interview, broadcast on November 8, Douthat opens by asking Trump for his analysis of the Republican defeat in the midterms. Trump says he was not on the ballot, points to his rally crowds and says voters had to transfer their support to candidates they did not like.
After the quotation
Trump says he has always wanted to keep out of wars and that he has settled eight wars. Later in the interview he says he does not disagree with Vance's post except that Vance left out that he would attack Iran again.
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 agrees the war and the gas prices it brought were primary reasons for the losses and adds dislike of Israel, while saying elsewhere in the interview that he would make the same decision again. He grants the political cost without disowning the war.
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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
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The Dispute Index. "Trump cites the war, gas prices and dislike of Israel for the midterm losses". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8488-asked-by-ross-douthat-on-60-minutes-to