Republicans Grapple with Trump’s Iran War Ahead of 2026 Midterms

Vulnerable GOP incumbents in competitive districts are publicly backing the president while privately acknowledging voter anxiety over rising gas prices and economic strain. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in August shows only three-in-ten voters approve of Trump’s handling of the Iran war, a figure the party hopes to mitigate by emphasizing national-security arguments.

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The war has become a central theme in campaign messaging. In Iowa, Rep. Zach Nunn, a combat veteran, urged voters to “deal with this now” at a state-fair rally on August 17, framing opposition as “just giving up.” In West Virginia, Sen. Jim Justice warned that the conflict has turned into a “mess” and called for greater sensitivity to constituents’ economic pain. House Speaker Mike Johnson linked the war to higher gas prices but expressed optimism that a “new phase” will soon lower both fuel and grocery costs.

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• Mike Johnson (House Speaker) attributed the surge in gasoline costs directly to the Iran conflict and promised forthcoming policy steps to curb prices.

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• Jen Kiggans (Republican Rep. from Virginia) said the United States must continue military actions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to keep the Straits of Hormuz open.

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• National Republican Congressional Committee framed the election as a choice between Republicans who aim to “disarm Iran” and Democrats who have “bankrolled the regime” for a decade.

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Sen. Jon Ossoff (Democrat, Georgia) condemned the war as “uniquely despicable,” accusing Trump of “lying a nation into war.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee labeled Republican support as “blindly following Donald Trump’s ego,” arguing that voters will punish the party for defending an “endless war.” A VoteVets ad targeted Sen. Dan Sullivan, tying his votes to $9-per-gallon gas prices in Alaska, though regional price trends pre-date the conflict.

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• “Let’s deal with this now, and let’s get it done,” — Rep. Zach Nunn, of Iowa, a combat veteran

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• “There is one person in this country who doesn’t care about gas prices — just one — and unfortunately that one person kind of controls our fate,” — Barrett Marson, a Republican strategist in Arizona

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• “For Republicans, it is a balancing act on the thinnest of wires to still support the president but also feel the pain that voters are going through.” — Sen. Jim Justice, of West Virginia

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• “The Iran conflict has been the cause, of course, of gas prices going up. It’s drug on,” — House Mike Johnson, DCCC spokesperson

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• “There’s something uniquely despicable about lying a nation into war, treating citizens as fools and those who serve as pawns,” — Sen. Jon Ossoff

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• “We need to continue to support (the military) and to support the objectives which the president has made clear, to make sure Iran, again, doesn’t have nuclear weapons and the Straits of Hormuz are kept open,” — Rep. Jen Kiggans

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