WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) — Vice President JD Vance blamed the war and defections among voters who supported the Republican presidential ticket in 2024 for his party’s midterm election losses, arguing that turnout was not the primary problem.
In a lengthy postelection statement, Vance said Republican analysts had tracked whether the electorate resembled the coalition that elected President Donald Trump two years earlier. Those figures initially gave his team reason for optimism, he said, even as public polling suggested substantial Democratic gains.
But strong participation did not necessarily translate into Republican votes.
“Our voters did show up,” Vance said. “But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”
Vance acknowledged that Republicans could have improved turnout in some places and said one pollster had faulted the party’s economic messaging. However, he identified the war as the central reason for the losses.
“The reason we lost is the war,” he said.
Vance cited an unnamed pollster who, he said, predicted Republicans would lose the nationwide congressional vote by 13 percentage points. According to Vance, that pollster asked former Trump supporters who planned to vote Democratic what would bring them back to the Republican Party.
The leading responses were ending the war, addressing inflation and the cost of living, putting “America First” and changing the United States’ relationship with Israel, Vance said.
His statement did not identify the pollster or provide the survey’s sample size, methodology or full findings.
Vance also defended Rachel Campos-Duffy’s call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, saying her advice had been politically sound.
Looking ahead, the vice president warned against interpreting the election results as a reason to support immigration amnesty. He said he was open to changing enforcement priorities, including placing greater emphasis on businesses that employ people without legal authorization to work.
Vance urged Republicans to have a direct debate about the war’s political consequences and encouraged dissatisfied voters to support candidates who share their views.
“I remain hopeful about our country,” he said, calling on supporters to channel their frustration into future elections.
