Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, handing President Donald Trump a defeat that party leaders attribute to voter anger over the war with Iran and rising costs .

Vice President JD Vance broke sharply with the White House on Wednesday. He wrote on X that "The reason we lost is the war" . Trump acknowledged the conflict was "part of" the reason for Republican losses but insisted he would make the same decision again . The vice president also named Israel among the reasons for the defeat . The White House struck a different tone on its official X account, posting an image of Trump at the Resolute Desk with the message, "PSA: TRUMP IS STILL YOUR PRESIDENT" .

The conflict began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 and spread to Lebanon and Yemen, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz . The United States also imposed a naval blockade that further damaged Iran's economy . The national average price of regular gasoline on Nov. 3 was about 36% higher than a year earlier, or roughly $1 per gallon more, according to AAA's Fuel Price Tracker cited by Business Insider .

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed to push for an end to Trump's tariffs and the Iran war . Democrats also warned the administration to "lawyer up," with Representative Robert Garcia of California, the likely future chairman of the House Oversight Committee, saying the new majority would investigate alleged corruption and abuse of power . Democratic leaders have consistently supported sending aid to Ukraine, and the new majority can begin creating conditions to increase that assistance .

Vance outlined a four-point roadmap for Republicans that included ending the war, focusing on cost of living and inflation, putting America First, and changing the U.S. relationship with Israel . The vice president's 600-word post came as Trump defended the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon .

The new Congress will not take office immediately, but its members will have greater capacity to investigate the administration, reject nominees and challenge legislation after the transition . Democrats won the House with 258 seats to 177 and the Senate with 55 seats to 45, flipping seats in states including Texas, South Carolina, Iowa and Kansas .