Republicans‘ Defeat in 2026 Midterms: It’s Much More Than the War in Iran

Indeed, you can’t spell “midterm a**-whooping” without Iran; but the seeds of the GOP’s decimation were planted long before the United States struck Iran.

First: Tariffs. Sixty-five percent of voters believe that , according to an NBC News exit poll. Only 27 percent of respondents believed that Trump’s policies were making the economy worse, the same poll said. touted the national benefits of tariffs all throughout the cycle, reminding voters ad nauseam that tariffs are a necessary tool because “America is not an economic zone.” And while that tickles the ears of much of the New Right, voters saw no economic benefits for themselves with the high trade barriers.

About the Author

Tanner Nau

Tanner Nau is a Reporting Fellow at National Review, based in Washington, D.C. He previously worked at The Free Press.

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Indeed, you can’t spell “midterm a**-whooping” without Iran; but the seeds of the GOP’s decimation were planted long before the United States struck Iran.

First: Tariffs. Sixty-five percent of voters believe that , according to an NBC News exit poll. Only 27 percent of respondents believed that Trump’s policies were making the economy worse, the same poll said. touted the national benefits of tariffs all throughout the cycle, reminding voters ad nauseam that tariffs are a necessary tool because “America is not an economic zone.” And while that tickles the ears of much of the New Right, voters saw no economic benefits for themselves with the high trade barriers.