Farage calls Trump's midterm result a "disaster" and says he broke a promise

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has described Donald Trump's result in the US midterm elections as a "disaster". Democrats swept Mr Trump's Republicans out of power in Congress, the US national legislature, in the vote. Mr Farage described the Republican losses as a complete wipeout.

Mr Farage linked the defeat to the war with Iran. The United States began that war in February 2026, and Mr Farage said it is now in its eighth month with no sign of ending. He said Mr Trump had promised no more foreign wars, and accused him of breaking that promise to American voters by launching the conflict. Mr Farage also said the war and the resulting rise in fuel prices had caused the Republican election damage.

Mr Farage initially urged support for the Iran war. He has since said he never supported an endless war in Iran, and that there is no question the war was a mistake. He said he fears Mr Trump will aggressively continue the war after the midterms.

Mr Trump has acknowledged that the Republicans' poor results were partly due to the Iran war and a surge in oil prices. He said he did not regret launching a joint attack with Israel on Iran. He has also warned that the United States and Israel could return to all-out war after the midterms if a deal with Iran cannot be reached.

Iran's government said US midterm voters had rejected the war with Iran.

Mr Farage said he had not spoken to Mr Trump since the midterms. He said Mr Trump was very good in his first and second terms at keeping his promises, and that the midterm losses were a lesson to "keep your promises".

Separately, Reform UK has named Angus MacIntyre as its first defence spokesperson. Mr MacIntyre left a 40-year military career that included service as a Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force to join the party.