Former GOP chair reveals why Republicans like Mike Lee are breaking from Trump on war with Iran

The former chairman of the Republican National Committee explained on Wednesday why Republicans like Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) are willing to split from President Donald Trump on the issue of war with Iran.

Michael Steele, who served as Lt. Governor in Maryland prior to leading the Republica Party, was interviewed Wednesday by MSNBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press Daily."

"Michael Steele, what I find interesting about his base on this one is like, 90% of the time the base just basically says whatever he says and blindly follow," Todd noted. "Not on this."

"There is a split," he continued. "Tucker Carlson is willing to break with him. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are willing to break with him and stick by on this issue."

Steele described it as, "the battle of the hawks versus the doves within the party itself."

"And so, yeah, they're willing to step out there more and push up against that. Why? Because it doesn't necessarily -- they can take the president on with something like this without losing any points because they have always kind of occupied the space and everybody kind of bakes them into the narrative," he explained.

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