Republicans in Washington were still assigning blame two days after Democrats won both chambers of Congress, with Deutsche Welle reporting pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran and the BBC reporting operatives directing anger at President Donald Trump^1,2.

DW said party insiders speaking to CNN and The Washington Post described Hegseth as a target of criticism that the Iran conflict, which he supports, contributed to the losses¹. Trump on Wednesday said the war had affected the midterms and that voters were frustrated by higher gas and diesel prices during the eight-month conflict, while saying the effort had to continue and that Hegseth was doing a very good job¹.

Vice President JD Vance sought distance from the war on X, writing that it was the reason the party lost and challenging anyone who would argue the Senate loss was worth it¹. DW reported Hegseth had publicly pushed for attacking Iran and had faced earlier questions, including a 2025 Signal chat that included a journalist¹.

CNN, as cited by DW, reported that House Republicans were expected to hold an impeachment vote on Hegseth within days, with Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky saying he planned to force the vote¹. Massie posted that his resolution was milder than what Democrats could pursue after they take control in January¹. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth would not be deterred by what he called partisan investigations and was committed to remaining through the end of Trump's term¹. Incoming Democrats, including Reps. Jason Crow and Adam Smith, said they intended to investigate the Defense Department and the Iran war¹.

The BBC, writing a day earlier, described a different intra-party argument: after Democratic wins in states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, some Republicans said Trump's focus on his own legacy and indifference to voter concerns cost them Congress². Texas Republican lobbyist Bill Miller told the BBC, "It's on him. It's not on anybody else"².

Most Republicans had expected to lose the House, the BBC reported, but some said Trump's policies, job approval and attention to construction projects in Washington hurt Senate prospects². A White House ally called public disapproval over the Iran war, tariffs and immigration enforcement a combined problem². Trump posted on Truth Social that he was not on the ballot and that the party would have won if he had been, and later said he would accept the results².

Trump allies told the BBC it was unfair to blame him, citing typical midterm losses for the president's party and weak candidates, including Ken Paxton's Senate race in Texas². Michigan Republican Krish Mathrani said Trump could not campaign full time as president and that his rallies still drove enthusiasm². The BBC also described a late campaign, a Dallas midterm convention that some Republicans found unhelpful, and White House personnel controversies during the stretch².

What remains unsettled is whether Trump will keep Hegseth, whether a House vote on Hegseth proceeds before January, and how much of the defeat Republican officials will publicly pin on the war versus the president^1,2.

Sources

1. DWPete Hegseth under fire as Republicans trade blame for midterm debacleNov 5, 2:08 PM
2. BBC'This is a disaster': Angry Republicans blame Trump for midterms defeatNov 4, 8:33 AM

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