hopeful

Vance cited trusted pollster saying Iran war, Israel ties were top of mind for Trump voters swinging to Democrats.

Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war on Iran for his party’s withering midterms defeat, suggesting that the conflict may not have been worth ceding control of the US Congress to Democrats.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he wrote in a lengthy post on X. “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.”

“Everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”

Vance, a likely 2028 presidential candidate and heir apparent to Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, has been a key negotiator with Iran as the two countries search for a way out of the conflict, which has dented their economies and pushed global fuel prices up.

His statements on Tehran have been more dovish than those of other key members of the administration, and his post-election note appears to mark the closest he has yet come to publicly diverging from his boss on an issue that looks set to dog Republicans as the war continues.

Citing a pollster he describes as “one of the smartest people I know”, Vance said he was told ending the Iran war and “changing our relationship with Israel” were two of the top four answers given by Americans surveyed who had voted for Trump in 2024 but were planning to vote for Democrats in the 2026 midterms.

In stark contrast, Trump said, in the wake of the rebuke at the ballot box, that he had no regrets about launching the conflict.

“I did the right thing. I would have done it again,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

Alesha Dixon leapt to the defence of her The Voice UK co-star Cheryl Tweedy after a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent attempted to criticise the Girls Aloud singer

Alesha Dixon instantly supported Cheryl Tweedy following a scathing comment from a Britain’s Got Talent hopeful. Although Alesha is currently appearing on the ITV talent show as a judge, next year she will take on a new role.

The singer will join Stacey Solomon, taking over from Emma Willis, as the pair join forces to host The Voice UK. The singing competition, which also airs on ITV, has undergone a major shake-up, with longstanding coach Sir Jom Jones axed.

Instead, Will.i.am will be returning alongside Kelly Rowland. Girls Aloud singer, Cheryl Tweedy, will join the panel alongside rapper Aitch. And it appears Alesha has already formed a strong bond with Cheryl.

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During filming for Britain’s Got Talent in Blackpool, it’s reported that a contestant attempted to criticise Cheryl’s vocal abilities. The Sun reports that Alesha hit back instantly.

The Mis-Teeq star slammed her red buzzer halfway through the hopeful’s act and used her feedback to make it clear that she wouldn’t allow his comments. “You don’t come after a mate of mine,” the singer fumed.

Although fans won’t see Cheryl taking on her full-time role as a coach until next year, they were, however, treated to a glimpse earlier this month. The singer joined her pal Will during the Battles Round of the ITV competition.

During the episode, Will revealed that he had been trying to get Cheryl to join him for the past 13 years. Cheryl knows exactly what it takes to make it in the music industry, having found fame after being selected for Girls Aloud on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Speaking to Team Will, the Call My Name songstress said: “I’m so excited for you. You couldn’t be in better hands than you are with my man Will. Will and I have collaborated a lot over the years, so we know what it’s like for two very different artists to come together. I wish you all the very best for what you’ve got today, and I’m excited to see you all!”

Reflecting on her own experience, having found fame on Popstars, Cheryl said during a solo interview: “I have stood in the shoes that the contestants are standing in, and I know what it feels like to perform in this environment. You’ve just got to know that you’re good, or you wouldn’t be here.”

Cheryl’s decision to sign up for the show marks a return to television after a lengthy break from the spotlight. In recent years, Cheryl has turned her attention to family life and has only taken on brief work spells, including her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story.

While she once dominated the music industry and became the first female artist to have five records debut at Number One, her last single, Let You, was released in 2019 and peaked at Number 57 on the Official Charts Company.

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