Marc Thiessen
Role at the time: Washington Post columnist and Fox News contributor, on Fox News's Special Report
Defended or excused
Response to this claim
Vance says the reason Republicans lost the November 3, 2026 midterms is the war with Iran, and that many people who voted for Trump and Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.
“I didn't see Vice President Vance say it was the right thing to do. I didn't see him say Donald Trump is one of the most courageous presidents in my lifetime because he took this very difficult political decision and put the country ahead of his own political interests.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Acyn's X post with a Fox News Special Report clip of Marc Thiessen, November 4, 202671-second clip from Special Report
Why we used 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. Thiessen faults Vance for not calling the war the right thing to do and praises Trump for putting the country ahead of his political interests. That defends the decision while accepting it carried a political cost.