Trump Speaks: This is Why We Lost the Congressional Elections

In his first statements since the Republicans' midterm election defeat, Donald Trump acknowledged that the war with Iran contributed to his loss of the House and Senate. However, he made it clear that he has no regrets about the military attack on Tehran and that he would make exactly the same decision if faced with the same dilemma again.

Speaking to reporters at the site where the new White House banquet hall is being built, the US president acknowledged that the conflict had a political cost for his party, mainly due to rising fuel prices.

He largely agreed with Vice President JD Vance's statement, which attributed the Republicans' electoral loss to the war with Iran, while emphasizing that he is not considering replacing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. "I think he's doing a great job," Trump said characteristically.

Asked about Vance's comments, Trump acknowledged that the military conflict had affected Americans' voting behavior. "I think it's largely true, because it caused a small increase in gas prices in the short term," he said.

He claimed to have predicted that the war would have consequences for the domestic political landscape of the United States. "I knew it. I knew the war would have an impact. But whether it had an impact or not, Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon," he stressed.

Despite his election loss, Trump defended the decision to take military action against Iran, insisting that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons was a strategic priority.

"If I had to do it again, I would have to do it again, because in the long run it is the only solution," he said. "You cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he added.

The US president also argued that military operations have dealt a devastating blow to the Iranian armed forces.

"As far as this war is concerned, I wouldn't have done anything differently. We have completely dismantled their armed forces. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone," he said.

He also attributed the Republicans' electoral losses to the fact that he himself was not a candidate, arguing that the huge support his campaign rallies were garnering did not transfer to his party's candidates.

"No, look. I mean, if I had been a candidate, we would have won. You saw the people. The rallies were packed, thousands and thousands of people at every campaign rally. And if I had been on the ballot, we would have won. But they just couldn't convey that love. There was so much love at those rallies. It was unbelievable," he argued.

When asked if he would be able to work with Democrats after their election victory, the US president seemed willing to discuss it with them, recalling, however, that he still has the power of presidential veto.

"I'll probably get along well with the Democrats, unless they want to be destructive. But I have the power of veto. So if we don't like what they're doing... They've already called and they want to discuss different issues, and that's fine," he said, while, when asked if he was worried about the possibility of Democrats trying to impeach him, Trump categorically rejected the possibility that such a process would affect him.

"Not at all. I think it would destroy the Democratic Party if they did that. Why would I be fired for no reason? For what? Because we have a successful country? Our country is more successful today than at any other time in its history," he insisted. ©LAPSI.al