A chorus of Senate and House Republicans broke sharply with President Donald Trump Thursday over his escalating threats to Iran, with one loyalist invoking the specter of Vietnam and others warning the conflict will cost them in the midterm elections.
The complaints grew louder within hours after Trump threatened to seize Kharg Island, a critical Iranian oil hub, in the latest of a string of statements that have whipsawed allies and adversaries alike — and for many Republican lawmakers, it was a threat too far, reported CNN.
"I don't support boots on the ground. I don't think America has the stomach for that," said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), who declined to rule out backing a formal congressional vote to refuse to authorize the conflict — a move that would put him on a collision course with party leadership.
The sharpest warning came from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), one of Trump's most reliable allies on Capitol Hill, who said he was "worried" about the Kharg Island plan and offered a blunt historical parallel that few in his party have been willing to voice.
"This is how it started in Vietnam," Kennedy said, while also acknowledging the steep economic toll the conflict is already exacting on American households.
That toll is rapidly becoming the central anxiety for Republicans facing voters in November. Gas prices and inflation are spiking again, and many lawmakers say the White House has badly mishandled its messaging — a frustration compounded by Trump's recent remark that he "loves" inflation, which drew open bewilderment from members of his own party.
"Makes absolutely no sense to me," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). “The fact that we’re not talking about or focused on the things that most people care about at election time, kitchen table issues, I think, is a problem.”
Even Republicans who support the war agree the president and his administration have not done a great job explaining why it's necessary, and that could hurt GOP congressional candidates this fall.
"People often vote their pocketbook," said Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND). "If people don’t feel secure financially, they oftentimes obviously respond by choosing somebody else.”