Republicans have lost Congress, and now they are arguing over why. Party leaders point to the war in Iran. Voters, in one poll, put affordability first: 49 per cent cited it as a deciding issue, against 13 per cent for the war. Trump-endorsed candidates lost, including in traditionally conservative states. Democrats take control of both chambers in January, and the GOP faces a fight over its leadership and direction.

John Zogby, founder of Zogby Strategies, checks his polling against the result and untangles how affordability, Iran and tariffs fit together at the kitchen table. Also on the table: whether voters were rejecting Trump the man, MAGA, or conservatism itself, and what a Trump endorsement is worth now. Along the way: JD Vance's future, offered with a firm warning not to bet on it.

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