United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war with Iran and the resulting pressure on gasoline prices contributed to Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections, after Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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Democrats recorded sweeping gains across the country on Tuesday, capturing Republican-held Senate seats and flipping House districts in states that Trump carried comfortably in the 2024 presidential election. The results handed Democrats control of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s current term.
Reacting to the outcome in a telephone interview with Fox News Democracy 26, Trump congratulated Democrats and acknowledged that the conflict with Iran had played a role in voters’ decisions.
“Well, I say this: congratulations to the Democrats. They did a good job,” Trump said, while maintaining that he did not regard the result as a personal rejection of him.
On the effect of the Iran conflict, he added: “I think a part of it was Iran,” arguing that although many Americans supported his approach to Tehran, higher fuel costs had weighed heavily on voters.
The conflict has disrupted energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed oil and fuel prices higher. Reuters reported shortly before the election that global oil inventories had fallen sharply following disruptions to shipping through the strategic waterway, while Brent crude remained substantially above its pre-war level.
However, voter concerns extended beyond the Iran war. An Associated Press voter survey involving about 80,000 voters found that the economy, the cost of living, concerns about democracy and government corruption were among the leading issues influencing congressional votes.
Republicans entered the election with a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control. They went beyond that threshold, flipping Republican-held seats in states including Texas, Kansas, Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Maine.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1932.
In Iowa, Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson, while former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper captured an open Republican-held Senate seat. Democrats also recorded victories in South Carolina and Ohio.
One of the biggest upsets came in Texas, where Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico defeated Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate, ending a 32-year period in which Democrats had failed to win a statewide election in Texas.
Trump had endorsed Paxton in the Republican primary, helping him defeat incumbent Senator John Cornyn before the general election.
Democrats also won control of the House, making gains in Republican-held districts across states including Iowa, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania, while also capturing seats in Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Utah.
Among the notable House upsets was Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, where Democrat J.D. Ford defeated Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz in a district that had been considered reliably Republican.
The Democratic surge extended to governors’ races.
In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, making her the first Democrat elected governor of the state in more than three decades.
In Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia’s first female governor and the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
Republicans nevertheless recorded victories in some states, including Florida, where Trump-backed Byron Donalds won the governorship and Republican Ashley Moody won the U.S. Senate race.
Trump said he was prepared to work with the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress on areas of agreement.
“I can work with them on many things,” he said.
At the same time, he signalled that he would use his presidential veto power against legislation he opposed, posting an image of a red cap bearing the word “VETO.”
The election substantially changes the balance of power in Washington, with Democrats set to control both chambers of Congress while Trump retains the presidency, creating the prospect of heightened legislative battles, congressional investigations and negotiations between the White House and Democratic leaders during the remaining two years of his term.
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