Vance cites four factors behind Republican losses in midterms

Vice President JD Vance stated that Tuesday's Republican loss of Congress was due to 2024 Trump voters defecting, not staying at home. He referenced a pollster who surveyed those defectors on what could bring them back.

The defectors' responses focused on the Iran war and living expenses. The defeat additionally gives Democrats investigative authority, with the Trump family's crypto firm first in line.

What Trump's 2024 Backers Said Would Win Them Over

According to Vance's post, the pollster—who conducts opinion surveys—queried defecting Trump voters on what would win them back, with four answers accounting for almost all responses.

• End the war
• Focus on cost of living and inflation
• Put America first
• Change the US relationship with Israel

Vance noted that Florida voters still favored Republicans by 9 points, close to 2024 margins.

AAA data cited by CBS showed gas at an average of $4.15 a gallon on Election Day, the highest ever for a US election day.

Vance prioritized the war.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.”

According to the Times of Israel, Trump linked the loss to war expenses during a Fox News interview.

“People agree with what I am doing on Iran but they probably weren’t willing to do the short-term consequence.”

Vance further mentioned that a different pollster attributed the loss to poor economic messaging. He dismissed amnesty for undocumented immigrants as a solution.

One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was "composition"—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win. And despite polls that showed a Democrat blowout, the data kept on telling us the same story: in some states turnout was…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 4, 2026

Reason Trump's Crypto Businesses Are Top Investigation Targets

Fortune reported that Representative Robert Garcia, who is slated to chair the Oversight Committee, advised the Trump family to hire lawyers.

The family's crypto company World Liberty Financial appears to be the primary target. Democrats are concentrating on a $500 million investment by an Abu Dhabi royal made while the firm pursues a national bank charter that requires Treasury approval.

Trump's crypto businesses have generated over $1 billion for him.

According to the Financial Times, House Democrats intend to begin their agenda within 100 hours after the new Congress convenes in January. That agenda includes votes to end the Iran war and reverse tariffs.

The crypto sector faces the new Congress at a disadvantage. The CLARITY Act, which aimed to establish federal rules for crypto trading, was defeated in the Senate in September by a procedural vote of 49-50.