President Donald Trump intends to double down on his unpopular war against Iran, even though a majority of voters want the conflict to end, according to NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel.
The news comes after the Republican Party lost both the House and the Senate following a Democratic Party blue tsunami victory in the midterm elections on Tuesday.
President Donald J. Trump hosts a Rose Garden Club dinner in honor of Police Week in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald J. Trump, joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and wife Jennifer Hegseth, signs an executive order creating a new White House commission focused on military families, Monday, August 3, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
Following the defeat, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that their unpopular war against Iran — and its subsequent economic consequences — had played a big role in the Democratic Party’s victory, and poll data showed that that was certainly the case.
63% of American Voters Oppose Trump’s War With Iran
According to NBC News’ exit poll, 63% of voters expressed opposition to Trump’s Iran war, with the cost of living and the economy cited by a majority of voters as the number one issue going into the elections.
Despite winning a second term in 2024 with a coalition that included many young supporters, a majority of voters aged 18 to 29 told AP they voted in the midterms to oppose Trump’s job in the White House, with just 7% saying they turned out to support him.
“You would think that after you get such pushback from the public that it would give President Trump pause,” said NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel on Thursday. “[But] U.S. military officials I’ve been speaking to — and retired U.S. military officials who are still connected — think that a strike is still more likely than not by President Trump.”
9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron aircrew step out to the B-1B Lancer during Bomber Task Force 25-2 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, May 9, 2025. BTF 25-2 demonstrates Allied strength by forging strong alliances, showcasing our resolve, and deterring aggression, while also supporting global stability and security and strengthening military capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Mattison Cole)
He warned, “Even though Americans voted against the war — and voted against and punished Trump because of gas prices — it doesn’t mean that war is over… Even if people might like to think that way.”
Other analysts also questioned how the war would continue following the Republican Party’s catastrophic defeat.
The Elections ‘Decided the Fate of the War,’ Whether Trump Likes it or Not.
Acknowledging that “the elections decided the fate of the war,” former Israeli intelligence officer Danny Citrinowicz noted that the conflict could still end with a “bang,” or merely with a whimper, but that the overwhelming lack of popularity for the war would likely “fundamentally change Washington’s calculations regarding military intervention in the region” going forward.
Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro argued that while it would make “little sense to resume attacks on Iran” following the Republican Party’s midterm defeat, Iran now had “little incentive” to give Trump a good deal “that would allow him to claim victory.”
Iran Boasted of Handing Trump a ‘POLITICAL DEFEAT’ in the Midterms
The Iranian government took a victory lap this week after Trump’s party was defeated at the polls, with voters making it clear that the conflict had been a big part of it.
“The Iranian nation handed Trump a strategic defeat on the battlefield and in the Hormuz—and a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington,” declared the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei. “Meanwhile, Americans got stuck with the bill for his war. Anyone who takes on Iran will pay the price—from the battlefield to their own doorstep.”
Official social media accounts representing Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei went one step further, suggesting that the Republican Party’s embarrassing defeat had “accelerated” the process of America’s “collapse.”
Vice President Vance Pleads With Republicans Not to Abandon the Party For Good
Vice President Vance pleaded with voters not to abandon the Republican Party for good in protest over the war against Iran, Wednesday.
“The reason we lost is the war… Everyone knows why we lost,” he declared. “To the people who are pissed off and want to say, ‘I told you so’: you’re right, you did tell us so. Take that energy into electing Republicans who share your worldview.”
The president himself, meanwhile, shrugged off the results of the election, telling reporters he would go to war with Iran all over again despite knowing it would cost his party both chambers of Congress for years to come.
Former Trump ally and Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed last month that Trump was considering carrying out a nuclear attack against Iran, citing an unnamed official with knowledge of the situation.
“The Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran,” he warned. “The target would be Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, where Israeli intelligence claims the Iranian government has restarted its nuclear enrichment program.”
About the Author: Charlie Nash
Charlie Nash is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Spectator, Mediaite, New Statesman, and the American Conservative, among other major publications. The Washington Post, Fox News, the Daily Beast, MS NOW, NewsNation, Hannity, and more have featured his reporting. You can follow Charlie on X at @CharlieNash and on LinkedIn.
