Former Republican Party chairman Michael Steele warned his own party that they should be careful about their blind allegiance to President Donald Trump when it comes to military actions against Iran.
In a Washington Post interview, Steele cautioned the GOP to think twice before they willingly volunteer to carry another albatross of war.
"The Republican Party is going to own this and they need to be careful. You can cheerlead the president, but do you really know what he wants to do here, in the middle of a 17-year narrative, and how it’ll play out? No, you don’t," he said.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans seemed confused about what to say. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was almost giddy while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was not happy the U.S. was potentially entering another costly war.
“Great nations avoid endless wars by becoming LESS involved in the turmoil of the Middle East, which would mean less troops not more," Paul said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the floor Monday to attack Democrats, saying they “rushed to downplay Soleimani’s evil while presenting our own president as the villain.”
He went on to say, “Can we not maintain a shred, just a shred of national unity for five minutes, for five minutes before deepening the partisan trenches?”
It was an ironic claim coming from the man who has refused to hold a vote on any legislation passed by Democrats.
During his vacation at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was metaphorically patted on the back by Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who promised Trump that Republicans would stand with him in supporting military action. The discussion proves that Trump and his team knew what they were doing would necessitate approval by Congress.
According to The Post, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had dinner with Trump Thursday evening, did the same, promising the president House Republicans were behind him.
“Ask George W. Bush about how these things go,” former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said. “It’s all fraught with danger.”
