Democrats retake Congress in 2026 midterms as Vance blames defeat on Iran war

Congress changes hands

The midterm elections on Tuesday 3 November 2026 gave Democrats majorities in both chambers of the incoming Congress ⁶. In its live coverage on 4 November, the Times of Israel reported NBC’s projection of at least 244 Democratic seats out of 435 in the House, along with the party’s Senate victory, with gains in at least six states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina ¹. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not run for minority leader ¹. Donald Trump told the New York Times he “would work with the Democrats” ¹.

Among those elected was Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, who faced former Republican congressman Mike Rogers. Declared the winner on the morning of 4 November, he is the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, according to the Times of Israel ¹. In his victory speech, he said he did not want American money spent on “apartheid, genocide or war” ¹. During the campaign he had said his responsibility was to Michigan’s children “rather than to the interests of a foreign government” ². Other successful Democratic candidates took similar positions. James Talarico, elected in Texas, supports ending arms sales to the Netanyahu government without using the word genocide. Troy Jackson, elected in Maine, did use the term, which Israel rejects ¹.

Vance singles out the war in Iran

Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on 4 November that “a lot of people who voted Trump/Vance in 2024 voted Democrat in 2026” and that “the reason we lost is the war”. He called for an end to the conflict with Iran ¹. According to the Times of Israel, his post also referred to US ties with Israel ³. On Fox News that day, Trump acknowledged that the rise in petrol prices caused by the war had weighed on voters. They “weren’t willing to bear the short-term consequences”, he said, while maintaining that “people agree with what I’m doing on Iran” ¹. On 8 November, he commented on Vance’s post: “He was right. Except for one thing.” The vice president should have added that he would make the same decision again, Trump said ³.

An AP poll published on 4 November found that about six in ten voters considered military action against Iran “wrong”. The Pentagon put the cost of the war at more than $47.1 billion ¹. Chuck Schumer, Democratic minority leader in the outgoing Senate, said, “This war must end,” invoking Congress’s “power of the purse” ¹. In Tehran, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Americans had voted “NO TO WAR” ¹.

How the result was received in Israel

The US results came in as Israel waited to learn who would be asked to form its government. On 4 November, Yair Lapid said the American result ruled out a unity government with Netanyahu ¹. On 4 November, Gadi Eisenkot pledged to renew the bipartisan alliance between the United States and Israel ¹. Herzog gave him the mandate on 8 November ⁷. President Isaac Herzog responded to Vance by saying Israel had “great respect for the president and the vice president” ⁴.

The election comes against a backdrop of changing US public opinion. In June, 48% of voters considered support for Israel excessive, up from 16% in 2017, according to Quinnipiac ⁵. An October ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey found that 58% of Americans favoured reducing or ending military support ². It was in this context that Trump announced an end to military aid to Israel on election day itself, citing El-Sayed ²⁵.

Sources

1. Times of Israel, direct du 4 novembre 2026 (entrées de 5 h 23, 6 h 05, 6 h 12, 6 h 43, 7 h 31, 8 h 03, 8 h 05, 9 h 06, 9 h 39, 9 h 48, 1 h 47, 19 h 00, 19 h 28, 19 h 43 et 21 h 36), https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-4-2026/
2. ABC News, « Trump says $4 billion in Israel military aid will end this year, citing political reasons », 3 novembre 2026, https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-israel-aid-end-year-citing-political-reasons/story?id=137809564
3. Times of Israel (édition française), « Rubio dénonce les exigences « scandaleuses et ridicules » de l'Iran dans les négociations », 8 novembre 2026, https://fr.timesofisrael.com/rubio-denonce-les-exigences-scandaleuses-et-ridicules-de-liran-dans-les-negociations/
4. Times of Israel, direct du 5 novembre 2026 (« Herzog responds to Vance: Israel has great respect for president, VP »), https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-5-2026/
5. Jacob Magid, Lazar Berman, Stav Levaton et agences, « Trump says US to end $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by end of 2026 », Times of Israel, 3 novembre 2026, https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-us-to-end-4-billion-in-annual-military-aid-to-israel-by-end-of-2026/
6. Associated Press, élections de mi-mandat et Congrès sortant, novembre 2026, https://apnews.com/article/231d18d536141d9c19ac7e8cfca66eec
7. Présidence israélienne, discours de remise du mandat à Gadi Eisenkot, 8 novembre 2026, https://www.president.gov.il/en/president-herzog-tasks-gadi-eisenkot-with-forming-a-government/

The story in 30 seconds

Read the main facts at a glance and share the link.

1. On 4 November, NBC projected at least 244 Democratic House seats. Democrats also won the Senate, gaining seats in at least six states.
2. Abdul El-Sayed, elected to the US Senate from Michigan, said he did not want American money spent on “apartheid, genocide or war”.
3. On 4 November, Vance blamed the defeat on the war. On 8 November, Trump defended his decision.

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