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The GOP is learning voters keep receipts, JD Vance Is Right About The War. That's The Problem.
JD Vance took to X Wednesday morning to give his take on Republicans' disastrous election results. He claimed to know exactly what went wrong and, like an oracle, declared, "The reason we lost is the war."
Yes, Mr. Vice President, it was the war.
And while Tuesday's elections were surely sobering for Republicans, Vance's acknowledgment of what went wrong has come too little too late. The war has been raging since February, and the vice president has spent much of that time defending the administration's actions.
Before we were dragged into this Middle East entanglement, Vance told us there was "no chance" military action would lead to the U.S. getting into an extended conflict in the region.
Not too long after, he went on Fox News to insist there was "just no way" Trump would start a conflict without a clear mission. He even said the president had limited ambitions, adding that the administration had learned from previous Middle East quagmires.
And while there were reports the Vice President advocated against striking Iran, once we were in, he threw his support behind it. Trump said Vance was "less enthusiastic" about the prospect of bombing Iran, but he added that he was nonetheless "quite enthusiastic."
By September, Vance was downplaying the war's severity, pushing back against even characterizing it as a war.
"Right now, there's no active shooting," he said.
His comments came as the U.S. and Iran had just spent days exchanging blows.
But all of a sudden, Vance is marketing himself as the sober voice in the room?
Perhaps Tuesday's electoral wipeout handed to Republicans had a little to do with his change of heart … just speculating over here.
Vance isn't the first VP to be in the precarious position of justifying the current administration's actions while keeping future political aspirations alive.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris famously said, "not a thing that comes to mind," when asked what she'd do differently than Biden should she be elected president. And while Harris' answer was certainly worse, one politician's inability to acknowledge her mistakes doesn't make Vance's midterm flip-flop any better.
There will undoubtedly be an urge to praise the VP's common sense — finally recognizing the reckless war that has been destructive not only for the Republican Party, but for everyday Americans writ large.
But don't be fooled; this is not some come-to-Jesus moment. It is bold-faced political expediency.
One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was "composition"—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was…
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 4, 2026
But these aren't new ideas; in fact, they're some of the very policies Trump and Vance campaigned on in 2024.
Democrats saw Trump's populist messaging win in '24, then saw the administration's broken promises, and offered the American people a second shot at those same policies.
They ran against the war in Iran, AI data centers, big tech, and the American oligarchs who've largely cozied up to the White House.
Democrats used this message to create one of the worst midterms for Republicans in modern political history. They swept up seats in GOP strongholds like Kansas, Iowa, and Montana.
The voters who propelled these Dems to victory didn't necessarily support every policy on the Democratic platform, but they were willing to give them a chance to prove they might follow through on more than the GOP has in the last two years.
If there is anything to be learned from Tuesday night, it's that policy, not party, drives voters.
The American people want a government that works for them, not special interests, corporate lobbies, and foreign governments.
They want legislators that will focus on improving their quality of life, not enriching themselves.
JD Vance's statement is by and large correct, and policy most Americans could get behind, but when you've spent years in power, promising voters that you'll challenge the swamp only to become the establishment, a well-written tweet won't erase voters' memories.
Vance knows he'll have a shot at the White House if he runs in two years. But after Tuesday night, it's clear the path back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. won't be through defending Trump or his administration.
Nevertheless, the vice president will not be able to reinvent himself as the voice of frustrated voters without accounting for his role in causing their frustration.
He may understand why the GOP lost so badly, but understanding why, while standing shoulder to shoulder with those still justifying their actions, is no better.
— From The Editors' Desk
Trump Brought Back America First — The Daily Caller Is Taking On The Establishment Trying To Hijack It — Amber Duke, Daily Caller
The Democratic Party regained majorities in both chambers of Congress Tuesday night, and it's left conservatism at a crossroads. Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Amber Duke details the editorial direction of the Caller and reaffirms our commitment to reporting on the stories that matter to everyday Americans across the country. As the country looks past Trump, the GOP is facing a serious identity crisis, but the issues that matter won't change.
Young Men Turned Their Backs On Trump In Midterms After Helping Him Win In 2024 — Nicole Silverio, Daily Caller News Foundation
One of the biggest demographic stories of the 2024 elections was the shift in young men's support for Republicans. Young adults turned out in droves for the GOP, citing social and economic issues; however, the GOP has lost its hold on the voting bloc. Tuesday's midterm elections saw young men turn away from the GOP and show support for Democrats across the country. The Daily Caller News Foundation's Nicole Silverio dives into the shift and what it means for American politics moving forward.
Democrats Found Victory In Taking Beast Head On While Republicans Cried Boogeyman — John Loftus, Daily Caller
Big Tech used to be Democratic territory; after Trump's 2024 victory, the GOP has cozied up to Silicon Valley while Democrats have taken a decidedly anti-Big-Tech stance. As one of the hallmark issues of the midterms, The Daily Caller's own John Loftus digs into how this seismic shift played out with voters.
Where Voters Split on Key Ballot Referendums — Maya Davis and Jennifer Calfas, The Wall Street Journal
While the blue wave certainly swept up Congress, voters showed some independent thinking on ballot reforms Tuesday. Ohio sent Democrats Sherrod Brown back to the Senate and Amy Acton to the governor's mansion; still, Buckeye State voters also passed a voter ID requirement on the ballot. Read more from The Wall Street Journal's Maya Davis and Jennifer Calfas as they dig into the at-times contradictory wins from election night
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