U.S. President Donald Trump has conceded that the Iran war could cost his party control of Congress at next month’s midterm elections.
The Republican Party is heavily behind in most polls, with voters citing frustration over the cost of living and Trump’s foreign policy.
President Donald Trump participates in the swearing-in ceremony for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz, Friday, April 18, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald Trump departs the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Nevertheless, the President remains defensive of his decision to go to war despite tumbling approval.
It’s Possible…
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, 1st October, Trump said it was “possible” that the seven-month conflict could hinder his party’s chances at next month’s elections.
However, he added that the conflict “should help” the GOP retain control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“Because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added. “So, when you say, ‘Is it OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon?’ I would say 100% of the people say no, including worldwide. So, when you say it that way, it would help. If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”
Trump answered a question about his daughter-in-law’s appearance on “Harry Cole Saves the West,” where Lara Trump said the Iran war could cost the President the midterms and possibly his legacy.
“I think Donald Trump’s legacy has yet to be written and I think that, in a lot of ways, maybe,” she said on the YouTube talk show. “I still say he’s going to go down in history as one of the greatest presidents, if not the greatest America has ever seen.”
Iranian Influence
Despite Trump’s claim to the contrary, Iranian officials have claimed that the forthcoming midterms are of no interest to the authoritarian regime.
At the United Nations General Assembly last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would prefer a deal prior to the midterm elections.
This was echoed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” last Sunday.
“If you ask us, there is no reason why we should go back to diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “But I am still trying diplomacy because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace. We don’t care about U.S. midterm elections. We care about our national interests.”
However, the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued an open letter to Americans on Wednesday this week, urging them to “wake up” and “wrest control back from corrupt politicians.”
“Now is the time, as the American political system is at its weakest,” the IRGC said.
Trump’s Last Campaign
In what is almost certainly the last major electoral campaign of his presidential tenure, Trump has ramped up campaigning, pledging to visit 35 battlegrounds on an aggressive schedule before the vote on Tuesday, 3rd November.
The President has cited a desire for Iran to wait until after the midterms before making a peace deal for several weeks, subtly referring to an attempt by Tehran to swing the results towards the Democratic Party by doing so.
His repeated justification for the conflict has been Iran’s nuclear program and the possibility of developing a nuclear weapon.
Other Issues
The problem Trump faces is that the biggest issue for most Americans is the cost of living – something that has only been exacerbated by the war and Iran’s subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A $5,000 pledge to all Americans if the GOP retains control of Congress has done little to swing voters back to the party since it was announced early last month.
While a majority of Americans view Iran as an enemy, the ongoing conflict has proven unpopular with most voters, and the weakening of Tehran has done little to appease the electorate.
Instead, the cost of living will decide 47% of voters, an area where Trump is polling abysmally low, even among his own party.
While the President himself is not on the ballot, Republican candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives are.
However, current polling suggests Congress will be more blue than red come the new year, with Democrats leading by an average of nine percentage points in the average generic congressional ballot, the party’s largest lead so far.
A Democrat-controlled Congress will prove troublesome for Trump’s swansong years in the White House.Without Republican control of both chambers,
Trump’s desired bills will be much harder to pass, and he’s likely to face impeachment calls during the last two years of his presidency.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
