Trump Blames Israel Dislike, Gas Prices for GOP Midterm Rout
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a “great dislike” for Israel, public resistance to the war with Iran and surging gasoline prices were the chief drivers behind the Republican Party’s sweeping defeats in last week’s midterm elections.
In an interview with a major US television network’s flagship news magazine, Trump conceded that the war had damaged Republicans politically, especially as fuel costs climbed.
“They didn’t like the war. They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up,” he said.
“There’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel. There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that, you have the war itself, you have the gas prices, and I think those are the primary reasons,” he added.
Trump stands by Iran decision
Even as he acknowledged the war’s political toll, Trump defended his move to strike Iran and said he would do it again.
“My answer is an emphatic yes because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump asserted that the US had won the war and that Tehran was eager to strike an agreement.
“We would have had a deal except for this election,” he said, suggesting the Democratic victory had complicated negotiations.
No plans to escalate
Pressed on whether he planned to intensify the conflict after the elections, Trump said he did not.
“I’m not looking to. I don’t think there’s any reason to,” he said.
He also repeated his claim that Israel would not exist without US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Democrats captured both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s elections, a major blow to the Trump administration.
In an interview with a major US television network’s flagship news magazine, Trump conceded that the war had damaged Republicans politically, especially as fuel costs climbed.
“They didn’t like the war. They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up,” he said.
“There’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel. There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that, you have the war itself, you have the gas prices, and I think those are the primary reasons,” he added.
Trump stands by Iran decision
Even as he acknowledged the war’s political toll, Trump defended his move to strike Iran and said he would do it again.
“My answer is an emphatic yes because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump asserted that the US had won the war and that Tehran was eager to strike an agreement.
“We would have had a deal except for this election,” he said, suggesting the Democratic victory had complicated negotiations.
No plans to escalate
Pressed on whether he planned to intensify the conflict after the elections, Trump said he did not.
“I’m not looking to. I don’t think there’s any reason to,” he said.
He also repeated his claim that Israel would not exist without US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Democrats captured both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s elections, a major blow to the Trump administration.
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