Donald Trump's once loyal inner circle is showing signs of fracture after the Republican Party suffered a significant defeat in the US midterm elections this week. Vice President JD Vance has publicly broken with Trump over the administration's stance on the Iran war, and even the President's own son has voiced agreement with the criticism.
The losses, which gave Democrats control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, have sparked finger-pointing within the party as senior figures search for someone to blame. Trump has attempted to pin the blame on losing candidates, despite having spent weeks urging voters to cast their ballots as if his name were at the top of the ticket.
Vance and Don Jr. Break Ranks
Vance, who was noticeably quiet on the campaign trail leading up to the midterms, publicly criticised Trump's war in Iran in a lengthy social media post after the results. He wrote: "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so." In the post, Vance said Republican voters cast their ballots for Democrats due to the war, the cost of living, America not being prioritised, and the US relationship with Israel. Unlike Trump, Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election. Vance is widely expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
Even more surprising was the response from Donald Trump Jr., who reposted Vance's rant and wrote: "Every word of this is 100." Don Jr., who has never held elected office but served as an executive vice president in the Trump Organization and was a key figure in his father's campaigns, thus agreed that the Iran war was behind the Republicans' losses.
Hegseth and Musk Face Fallout
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could reportedly be Trump's fall guy for the election humiliation. A Republican source close to the White House, speaking to CNN, said: "If the president is serious about anyone taking responsibility for it, it's Pete Hegseth." Trump, however, defended his war in Iran, saying, "If I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again." Insiders say Trump personally likes Hegseth but may have nowhere else to look as some Republicans turn on him and the war.
Elon Musk, who pumped nearly $500 million of his own money into the midterms—breaking an individual spending record—saw little return on his investment. $45 million went to support Republican Ken Paxton for a Senate seat, but he was beaten by Democrat James Talarico in the historically red state. On Tuesday night, Musk joked that his "election-interfering space lasers didn't work." His companies could face serious issues with a Democratic-controlled Congress, as SpaceX has been awarded around $10 billion in government contracts since the start of Trump's second term. Musk's businesses also struggled on stock markets after the midterms, as investors worry he could be a target for congressional investigations.
Family and Former Allies Under Scrutiny
The Trump presidency has been a family affair, with Don Jr. involved politically, son-in-law Jared Kushner serving as US Special Envoy for Peace, and wife Melania Trump brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia for the front-line city of Oleshky. The House Democrats oversight committee posted an apparent warning to the Trumps, saying: "Good morning to everyone except: —The Trump Crime Family." Rep. Robert Garcia, who will lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, issued a cryptic two-word statement: "Lawyer Up."
It has been reported that House and Senate Democrats are planning to probe the Trump family's crypto venture, Don Jr.'s close ties to a Russian oligarch who paid for part of his wedding, and property deals by the Trump Organization, according to the New York Times.
This is not the first time hardcore Trump allies have turned on him. Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a key MAGA figure, broke with Trump last year and has become an outspoken opponent over the handling of the Epstein Files and the Iran war. She posted: "This election is a referendum on Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s complete and total failure." American conservative news anchor Tucker Carlson, once key in pushing MAGA messages, has also turned on Trump over Iran and Middle East policy, telling NPR last month that Trump should be removed from office.
