Historian warns US could become an enemy of Israel if Democrats continue to win

Historian and conservative pundit Victor Davis Hanson says sweeping Democratic victories in 2026 midterms, including wins by prominent anti-Israel firebrands, could mark a turning point in US-Israel relations.

By World Israel News Staff

Conservative historian Victor Davis Hanson warned that Israel could eventually be treated as an enemy of the United States if Democrats regain the White House in 2028, accusing the party of growing antisemitism and predicting a fundamental shift in American Middle East policy.

Speaking during an election-night interview with Tony Kinnett of The Daily Signal, Hanson said the Democratic Party’s sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections could pave the way for a future administration openly hostile to Israel.

“I can envision a point where Israel will become an enemy of the United States, at least in the eyes of this government,” Hanson said, referring to a potential future Democratic administration.

“The entire Democratic Party is tainted with antisemitism,” he added.

Hanson, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a longtime supporter of Israel, predicted that a future Democratic president could reverse several policies adopted by President Donald Trump, including measures targeting Hamas and the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen.

“We will restore Hamas’ funding,” Hanson said, describing what he believed a future Democratic administration might seek to do.

He also predicted that Democrats could remove terrorist designations imposed on the Houthis and adopt a more accommodating approach toward organizations and governments hostile to Israel.

The remarks followed Tuesday’s elections, in which Democrats captured control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, dealing a major setback to Trump and his Republican allies.

Hanson expressed particular concern about the growing influence of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, arguing that the victories of left-wing candidates could influence the party’s presidential nomination process ahead of 2028.

He singled out candidates including Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and Texas’s James Talarico as examples of a broader ideological shift within the party.

Hanson warned that if Democrats maintain control of Congress and win the presidency in 2028, they could pursue sweeping changes to American domestic and foreign policy.

He also criticized the Trump administration’s handling of its military campaign against Iran, arguing that Washington had failed to bring the conflict to a decisive conclusion.

Hanson called for additional strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, particularly the underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, located south of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Hanson argued that the United States should combine further military action with tougher economic sanctions, support for Iranian opposition groups and measures to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

He said the administration’s repeated movement between negotiations and military strikes had prolonged the conflict and undermined public confidence.

In a separate commentary published Wednesday by The Daily Signal, Hanson argued that Americans initially supported confronting Iran’s nuclear program but became frustrated as the conflict continued without a clearly defined conclusion.

“People have finite patience. They want victory, and then they want to go home,” he said.

Hanson suggested that Washington should complete its military objectives, withdraw from active hostilities and rely on sanctions and internal pressure to weaken the Iranian regime.

His comments come amid growing political opposition to the Iran war following the Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections.

Vice President JD Vance attributed much of the electoral setback to the conflict, while Trump acknowledged that rising gasoline prices associated with the war had hurt Republicans.

Despite his criticism of the administration’s strategy, Hanson argued that ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions remains essential to Trump’s political legacy.

In an analysis published Wednesday in The Free Press, Hanson wrote that the president’s remaining two years would be judged primarily by economic performance and whether he could achieve Iran’s denuclearization.

He also predicted that Democratic control of Congress would significantly complicate Trump’s domestic agenda, particularly his ability to secure confirmation of federal judges and senior administration officials.

Nevertheless, Hanson argued that the president would retain considerable authority over foreign affairs, citing the precedents of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who continued pursuing major foreign policy initiatives after suffering substantial midterm losses.

“I think Trump will do what he wants in foreign policy,” Hanson said in his Daily Signal interview.

Hanson predicted that Democrats would use their congressional majorities to launch investigations, issue subpoenas and potentially pursue impeachment proceedings, but would struggle to enact legislation opposed by Trump unless they could assemble sufficient votes to override presidential vetoes.

He warned that the more consequential election would come in 2028, when Democrats could potentially consolidate control of both Congress and the White House.