Trump talks ballroom plans as Vance blames Iran war for GOP disaster: Live updates

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Vice President Mike Pence are facing questions about their political ambitions after the Republican Party's significant losses in the midterm elections. In response, JD Vance publicly distanced himself from President Donald Trump's defense of the Iran war. Vance, who has been critical of the conflict with Iran in the past, blamed the unpopular war for the GOP's drubbing, stating, "If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so."

Trump, on the other hand, repeatedly defended the war and maintained it was necessary. The results of the election clearly indicated that the American public disapproved of the Iran war, with about 60% of voters believing the U.S. made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran. Vance's stance on the war has shifted from his previous advocacy for restraint in U.S. military intervention overseas to defending the conflict, despite being seen as a strong critic of Trump's decision to launch the war.