President Donald Trump strongly urged Republican senators to vote against a resolution that would have mandated congressional approval for continued military action in Iran. The intervention came after a closed-door meeting where Trump reportedly confronted senators, including some of his notable critics, over their support for measures that could limit his war powers.
Sources indicate that Trump specifically pressured Senators Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy to oppose the Democratic-led resolution on Wednesday night. This occurred as multiple Republican senators had previously signaled support for similar measures aimed at curbing the president's authority to wage war.
The closed-door session on Capitol Hill was described as contentious, with Trump reportedly engaging in a heated exchange with Republican lawmakers. Senator Cassidy attempted to explain the reasoning behind the resolution, but Trump allegedly responded with personal insults, calling Cassidy a "lunatic" and telling him to "sit down." When Cassidy did not comply and referred to Trump as "brother," the president reportedly dismissed the familiarity and mocked Cassidy's recent primary election loss, which Cassidy perceived as an attempt to intimidate him.
Four Republican senators had previously supported a resolution with similar aims to limit the president's war powers, an action that appears to have triggered the forceful response from Trump during the private meeting.