Trump confronted Republicans over Iran vote. By nightfall, two had switched sides
Jun 25, 2026
Senate Republicans reversed course on rebuking President Trump in a new war powers vote Wednesday — after a tense confrontation.
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President Trump went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday hoping to rally Republicans around his agenda
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Instead, he ended up in a heated exchange with one of his party senators
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Trump spent more than an hour behind closed doors with Senate Republicans, and by several accounts, it got testy. The biggest flashpoint came when Trump questioned
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why four Republicans joined Democrats in backing a war powers resolution, directing him to pull troops from hostilities against Iran
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Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, one of those four Republicans, pushed back, saying lawmakers still haven't received a full briefing on the war or its objectives
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According to people in the room, the exchange quickly escalated with both men raising their
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voices. Cassidy later told reporters he makes no apologies for standing up to the president
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saying, quote, he didn't particularly care for my comments, raised his voice
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I lost my temper. It's the Irish in me. But again, I matched his tone and his volume
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and it went back and forth. Now, tensions have been growing between Trump and some Senate
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Republicans over Iran, the SAVE Act, and Trump's decision to put a bipartisan housing bill on hold
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until Congress acts on his election reform priorities. Despite the fireworks, Trump emerged from the meeting, calling it a success
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I think we had a really great meeting and we very proud of the party We like our leader we like everybody really in the room I don like a few people but that OK I think you know who they are But I give you that information someday
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But for the most part, we have a really well-unified party. Trump also used the meeting to press Republicans to pass the SAVE Act
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a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, even as GOP leaders continue to say it doesn't have the votes to pass the Senate
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Well, just hours after that tense meeting with Senate Republicans, a separate war powers vote went Trump's way
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In a late night vote, Senate Republicans blocked another resolution that would have
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required Trump to get congressional approval before taking more military action against Iran
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The reversal came less than a day after four Republicans joined Democrats in backing a very
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similar measure. This time, only Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski
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voted with Democrats. Trump quickly celebrated the result on Truth Social, singling out Senator
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Bill Cassidy for changing his vote and saying the decision put Iran on notice. Cassidy says he only
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switched positions after a reassuring meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance and Special Envoy Steve
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Whitcoff. Senator Rand Paul, who also changed his vote to present, said his decision followed
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Wednesday's lunch with the president. The vote does not change the House War Powers resolution
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the Senate approved on Tuesday, which remains in place, though largely symbolic
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