Trump says Iran war contributed to Republican midterm losses

President Donald Trump said the Iran war contributed to Republican losses in the November 3 midterm elections, while defending his actions against Iran and congratulating Democrats as they moved toward control of Congress. In an interview on Wednesday, Trump said he believed Iran was part of the reason for the result, but argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon would be more important historically than the election. His remarks reflect his own assessment; the reporting does not establish how much the war affected voters’ choices or the outcome. Democratic control of both chambers was projected by a decision desk, while election results reported during counting showed Democrats had secured 52 Senate seats and were on track to take the House, with 193 seats reported. The accounts described an evolving count, not final certified results. Trump also expressed surprise at the Republican performance, saying he had expected candidates to do better. He said rallies attended by thousands had not translated into support for candidates as he had anticipated. He also attributed losses to some candidates’ lack of support among his base and said he had not been on the...