A Common Dreams article reports that after the 2026 elections, in which Democrats flipped seven Senate and 43 House seats and took both chambers from the GOP, Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that "the reason we lost is the war" in Iran, which President Trump joined Israel in launching in February 2026 and which has killed more than 3,400 Iranians and 13 US service members. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls it ironic for the vice president to describe the war "as if he's describing the actions of a different administration," saying "this is a war that they started" and one "they can end."