Blaming the Iran War for Midterm Losses, Vance Courts Disaffected Trump Voters for a 'New Right' Alliance

Vice President JD Vance is seeking to forge a new alliance with disaffected Trump voters ahead of the 2028 election cycle, Fox News Digital has learned.

Vance took control of his own messaging on Wednesday morning in the wake of a brutal Republican midterm beatdown, breaking with President Donald Trump on foreign policy and America's relationship with Israel.

A source familiar with post-election happenings told Fox News Digital that there was a White House meeting on Wednesday morning aimed at aligning administration officials on post-midterm messaging.

After that huddle, the vice president posted a lengthy message on X where he squarely blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party's losses in the 2026 midterms. Trump made a similar claim after calling into Fox News during Tuesday night's election coverage, saying the upsets were "partly" due to the Iran war.

"The reason we lost is the war," Vance's post said. "The president himself said so last night."

"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. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest," he went on. "But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there."

In the post, Vance said a pollster and "one of the smartest people I know in politics" laid out four tasks that would bring voters back to the GOP — end the war in Iran, focus on the cost of living and inflation, put America first, and "change our relationship with Israel."

A Trump administration official who spoke with Fox News Digital said the four tasks are Vance's rallying cry to the "new right," broadly defined as a coalition of Republicans that aligns with the president's original "America First" movement — staying out of foreign conflicts, making America an affordable place for Americans to raise families, and closing the borders.

But those voters, they said, also believe Trump is too aligned with Israel on foreign policy. Among some on the political right, the war in Iran is intrinsically tied to Israel's influence in the Middle East and Trump's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The official made clear that Vance's message is not a separation from Trump, like former Vice President Mike Pence denouncing Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Rather, he is aiming to send a clear message to Republicans who support Trump and disagree with or feel betrayed by his foreign policy.

The White House did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment at the time of publication on the meeting or Vance's post-election messaging.

The vice president has not strayed much from Trump and the White House's preferred messaging for the past two years, though he has been one of the few voicing concern over the ongoing war in Iran. Despite his friendship with Secretary Pete Hegseth, reports and Vance's own comments show his stance on the Iran conflict differs. Trump acknowledged earlier this year that Vance was "maybe less enthusiastic" about attacking Iran from the start.

Vance is widely considered a top GOP presidential candidate in 2028, along with Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Democrats stand at 54 Senate seats to Republicans' 44, after sweeping wins in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. Votes were still being counted on Wednesday in a tight race in Alaska that could widen the Democratic Senate majority. Needing only 218 to control the House, Democrats on Wednesday afternoon had won 237 seats, with more projected to filter in.