President Donald Trump melted down on social media after House Republicans joined Democrats in a vote to limit his war powers.
Four Republicans broke ranks with Trump and House GOP leaders to support the measure to block further U.S. military action, which passed 215-208. The GOP defectors were Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
They earned Trump’s ire in a classically unhinged Truth Social post on Thursday morning. “Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he began at 7:13 A.M.
The 79-year-old continued: “Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story - They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves. MAGA!!!”
Negotiations with Iran are stuck at an impasse, with April’s ceasefire punctuated by violent skirmishes. On Tuesday, U.S. forces struck and disabled an Iranian-linked oil tanker, prompting Iranian drone attacks on Gulf shipping and subsequent U.S. strikes on Iranian military sites on Qeshm Island. The escalation culminated on Wednesday, when Iran launched its largest barrage since the truce—firing missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, temporarily shutting Kuwait’s international airport, causing casualties, and triggering U.S. and Bahraini air defenses.
Earlier this week, Trump openly admitted he was growing bored with peace talks. He told CNBC he “couldn’t care less” if the negotiations had bogged down and declared that they had become “boring.”
Even still, he is clearly rattled that he has been jilted by less hawkish members of his own party. “When the members went back home, they heard from their constituents,” Massie said. “It confirmed to [the Republicans who voted yes] that they should do the right thing.”
Barrett, posting on X, said that only Congress “has the exclusive authority under the Constitution to declare war and authorize the use of force,” adding that the War Powers Act of 1973 allows some presidential authority, but only for a finite period.
“That authority has expired, and my support of this resolution tonight is consistent with my belief that it is time for Congress to decide the scope of the mission and the appropriate limits on the use of force in Iran,” Barrett added.
Davidson has long argued that Congress, not the president, should decide whether the country goes to war. “Define the mission. Authorize the mission. Accomplish the mission,” he said after the vote.
Fitzpatrick, one of the most centrist Republicans in the House, flipped on his original position from May and defied the president this time around. “We must keep the world safe, and we must also follow the law,” he said on Wednesday. “The War Powers Act of 1973 states that any conflict exceeding 60 days must be brought to Congress.”
Wednesday’s vote was the first time either chamber of Congress has approved a war powers resolution since the conflict began more than three months ago. Republicans have argued it is null and void because the country is not currently at war, due to the ceasefire signed on April 7.
However, U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged missiles, drones, and retaliatory strikes in the conflict’s biggest escalation in weeks on Wednesday.
