President Donald Trump's explanation for Republican midterm losses prompted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to claim most Americans are disgusted with Israel, although the available polling measured only unfavorable views.
Trump told CBS News that the Iran war, higher gasoline prices and what he called “a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel” were among the main reasons Republicans lost. He said his name was absent from the ballot and suggested some Republican candidates had failed to appeal to voters. Those were his explanations for the result, not a measure of what drove individual votes.
The Associated Press called both the House and Senate for Democrats after the Nov. 3 elections. Its Senate call came late on election night, followed by a House call early Nov. 4.
A mirror of Araghchi's X account reproduced a post in which he said “the vast majority of Americans are disgusted with Israel.” He also blamed Israel for involving successive U.S. governments in lengthy wars.
Araghchi's claim went beyond Trump's description of public dislike of Israel. Neither man's remarks established how many voters shared that view or whether it affected their choices in November.
Marquette Law School surveyed 1,023 U.S. adults Sept. 2-9. It found unfavorable opinions of Israel among 59% of respondents, compared with 29% who viewed the country favorably. On the Iran war, 79% said it had not been worth its cost. The survey preceded the November vote and cannot show what motivated voters. It also did not ask whether respondents felt disgust toward Israel.
Before the midterms, Trump had left open further U.S. action against Iran. In earlier remarks reported by Iran's state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, Araghchi said renewed fighting would not change Tehran's policies.
In the CBS interview, Trump defended his decision to attack Iran and said he would make the same choice again despite its possible political cost. Asked about the period after the election, he said he was not seeking to escalate the war.
