Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer pushed back against Vice President JD Vance, arguing that President Donald Trump should have continued the Iran war instead of agreeing to a ceasefire.
Fleischer Defends Trump’s Iran War Decision
On Wednesday, Fleischer, who served under former President George W. Bush, shared Vance’s post on X and offered a sharply different assessment of the conflict.
“The problem was not the Iran War. It was the cease fire,” Fleischer wrote
He added, “Once the decision was made, we should not have stopped until the regime fell. But instead, you negotiated a cease fire that didn’t last, didn’t work and left us in no man’s land, with higher prices and our troops still deployed.”
According to Fleischer, the U.S. should have dismantled additional layers of Iran’s leadership and supported pro-Western forces capable of taking power.
He also argued that a more decisive outcome could have reopened the Strait of Hormuz, restored oil flows and prevented prolonged uncertainty in the region.
“If you start a war, you need to win it and finish it – otherwise don’t start it,” he said.
Fleischer maintained that the ceasefire failed to deliver a lasting resolution, leaving American troops deployed, the Navy committed to the region and energy prices elevated.
He also defended Trump’s decision to enter the conflict, arguing that the president was not compelled to intervene in either June 2025 or February 2026.
JD Vance Blames Iran War for GOP Midterm Losses
Fleischer’s remarks came after Vance attributed the Republican Party’s midterm losses partly to the Iran conflict and rising living costs.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote on X.
He called for Republicans to prioritize ending the war, tackling inflation, returning to an America First agenda and changing the country’s relationship with Israel.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) welcomed Vance’s comments, saying, “Better late than never.”
Investor Peter Schiff warned that the administration’s debt and inflation policies could further damage Republican prospects, potentially costing the party the White House in 2028.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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