Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, that he doesn’t expect the war with Iran to be over before November’s midterm elections. Asked directly, he answered: “Probably not.”
Kennedy — John Neely Kennedy, no relation to the Kennedy political family — isn’t himself up for reelection this year; his current term runs through 2028. But in the same interview he made clear he thinks both the war and the economy could weigh on his party’s chances anyway, and he didn’t spare his own side of the aisle.
Key facts
- Who: Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., speaking to NBC’s Kristen Welker
- What: Says the Iran war will probably outlast November’s midterms; doesn’t expect Senate Republicans to pass inflation relief before then either
- When: Interview aired Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, on “Meet the Press”
- Kennedy’s own seat: Not up for reelection this year; his term runs through 2028
- Gas prices: National average hit a record for Labor Day weekend, about $4.14 a gallon, per AAA
- Jobs report: August — 162,000 jobs added, unemployment at 4.1%
- Poll: NBC News Decision Desk poll (Aug. 20-Sept. 1) — strong Republican approval of the administration’s Iran war handling fell 18 points since spring, to 30%
- Russia sanctions bill: Passed the Senate in August; has not yet cleared the House
Inflation: “gutting people like a fish”
Kennedy called inflation “pernicious” and said, “It’s gutting people like a fish.” He acknowledged Senate Republicans have not passed inflation-relief legislation and said it’s “not likely” they will before the midterms. By his account, an earlier push to move a bill through reconciliation came up “three or four votes short” among his own colleagues. “We can do anything we want to in reconciliation,” he said, “and ask the House to come back and do it.”
The interview came two days after the Labor Department’s August jobs report, which showed employers added 162,000 jobs and unemployment holding at 4.1% — part of the economic backdrop to Kennedy’s complaint, though not a figure he cited on air.
Putin: “This guy’s a pirate”
Kennedy also broke from the administration’s diplomatic tone toward Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Ukraine peace talks. “This guy’s a pirate,” he said. “He’s got blood under his fingernails. He doesn’t care about a bunch of pretty talk.” He argued for more pressure, not less — “We’re choking him to death. We’ve got to choke him to death. That’s what he understands” — and added, “You don’t get any credit for kissing his ass.” Kennedy called for passing a Russia sanctions bill the Senate approved in August, which has not yet cleared the House, and for continuing U.S. intelligence support to Ukraine.
Iran: “one problem” left
The interview came a day after the U.S. military said it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian missiles fired at two Navy warships; no American personnel were reported hurt. On the war itself, Kennedy argued the U.S. has already gotten what it wanted militarily. “We have accomplished all of our objectives in Iran,” he said. “There’s just one problem: the Strait is semi-closed” — a reference to the partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He defended the blockade as “a smart play” that is “hurting the Iranians badly,” and said he’d keep it in place “for a few more months if we can stand the pain at the pump.”
That pain is measurable. The national average gas price hit a record for Labor Day weekend this year, around $4.14 a gallon, according to AAA — the first time the holiday average has topped $4 — driven largely by volatility around the Strait of Hormuz.
Not the only Republican worried
Kennedy isn’t alone in flagging political risk. An NBC News Decision Desk poll fielded Aug. 20-Sept. 1 measured strong approval of the administration’s handling of the Iran war among Republicans who approve strongly, not all Republicans. Strong Republican approval of the administration’s handling of the Iran war had fallen 18 points since spring, to 30%; strong approval among MAGA Republicans had fallen 21 points to 43%, while overall Trump/GOP (the Republican Party) support among Republicans remained roughly 80% and overall national approval held roughly steady at 31%. Weeks earlier, at an Aug. 13 Senate GOP luncheon where Vice President JD Vance briefed senators on Iran, Kennedy pushed for a public news conference to explain the war’s objectives — a frustration other Republican senators at the luncheon echoed. Sen. Rand Paul has gone further, separately warning that the midterms could be “disastrous” for Republicans if the war and high gas prices continue — a starker outlook than Kennedy’s own.
Kennedy had made related comments in earlier appearances. In a separate appearance in early August, he urged Americans to “stand the pain” of rising energy costs and stick with the blockade — a comment that drew online backlash, and one that echoes the same phrase he used Sunday about “the pain at the pump.”
No date has been set for the Senate to bring the sanctions bill back up, and Kennedy gave no timeline for when Republicans might revisit inflation relief. For now, both remain unfinished business he says his own party needs to act on before voters render a verdict in November.
Timeline
- Early August 2026 — Kennedy, in an earlier appearance, urges Americans to “stand the pain” of rising energy costs and stick with the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
- Aug. 13, 2026 — At a Senate GOP luncheon, Vice President JD Vance briefs senators on Iran; Kennedy pushes for a public news conference on the war’s objectives, a frustration other Republican senators echo.
- Aug. 20-Sept. 1, 2026 — The NBC News Decision Desk poll is fielded, later showing falling Republican approval of the administration’s Iran war handling.
- Two days before the interview — The Labor Department releases its August jobs report: 162,000 jobs added, unemployment at 4.1%.
- The day before the interview — The U.S. military says it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iranian missiles were fired at two Navy warships; no American personnel reported hurt.
- Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026 — Kennedy tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” the Iran war will “probably” outlast the midterms and faults fellow Republicans on inflation.
- Labor Day weekend 2026 — The national average gas price hits a record for the holiday, about $4.14 a gallon, according to AAA.