US Vice President JD Vance Makes Rare Remarks: Midterm Losses Primarily Caused by War, Not Turnout

Odaily: US Vice President JD Vance posted on X that although pre-election polls showed Democrats heading for a landslide victory, Republican data consistently showed that the voter composition was close to 2024 levels, with turnout in some states decent or even standout, and no catastrophic decline. Citing Florida as an example, he said the state's voter composition was still 9 percentage points more Republican than Democratic, only a few points worse than 2024.

JD Vance said the real problem was not turnout, but that a large number of voters who voted for Trump and himself in 2024 switched to Democrats in the 2026 midterms. According to a pollster he cited who accurately predicted the results, if these defecting voters were to return to the Republican camp, the four most commonly cited reasons, in order, were: ending the war, focusing on the cost of living and inflation, adhering to America First, and changing the relationship with Israel.

He further stated that the real reason for the losses was the war, and that the president had also publicly said so the night before; he also said that in the coming months some may package proposals such as amnesty as a way out, but he believes those pushing amnesty are lying. As for whether it is worth losing control of the Senate for the next 6 years over this, he said that is at least an honest starting point for debate.