Several Prominent Republican Leaders Speaking Out Against Trump's Handling of Iran
Once one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies, former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has suggested that Congress should invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office. Why are Greene and other conservative leaders turning on Trump, and is it possible that Cabinet members will take drastic action? Read on for the latest as tensions continue to escalate both in the Middle East and at home.
Former Trump Ally Suggests Removing the President From Office
President Trump is beginning to alienate some of his biggest former supporters over how he is handling the war with Iran. Tensions have been high since Easter Sunday when Trump issued a strongly worded, expletive-laced threat to blow up key infrastructure in Iran. In a post on social media, Trump warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or "you'll be in living hell." The president ended the rant by stating, "Praise be to Allah."
The post raised eyebrows even among some of the most conservative leaders in the U.S. For example, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson called the post "vile" on "every level." Carlson also criticized the president for dropping the f word in his Easter morning statement while also mocking the Muslim religion, saying that "no decent person mocks other people's religions."
Trump responded to Carlson's comments by saying that he "has absolutely no idea what is going on." This is not the first time that Carlson has criticized the decision to go to war with Iran, joining fellow conservative commentators, such as Megyn Kelly, in condemning the U.S. response in the Middle East.
Greene joined in on the criticism on Tuesday, saying that he should be removed from the Oval Office under the 25th Amendment. The former Republican representative from Georgia made the comments after another jaw-dropping post by the President on Tuesday morning. In this statement, Trump said that "a whole civilization will die tonight."
The president's warning came after he told the Iranians to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 pm on Tuesday. The strait has been the focus of the war after Iran blocked oil from coming out of the Middle East, sending gas prices soaring all over the world.
Greene established herself as one of the president's closest allies during her time in Congress. This makes her suggestion to impeach the president even more stunning. Greene made the comments in a social media post, emphasizing that "we cannot kill an entire civilization."
The 25th Amendment gives the vice president and a majority of his Cabinet the power to declare that a president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." Should this happen, Vice President JD Vance would assume the position of president, per the rules of this amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Although the 25th Amendment has been invoked several times since its 1967 ratification, it has only been used for transferring power during medical procedures or for filling vacancies in the vice-presidential capacity. Section 4, allowing the involuntary removal of a president, has never been invoked.
GOP Sen. Ron Johnson is also speaking out against the president's threats to punish Iran by blowing up the country. In a Monday podcast, Johnson said, "I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure." Johnson's comments came the day before Trump made his harshest warning yet, threatening the destruction of an entire civilization "never to be brought back again." While Johnson said that he supported the White House's decision to attack Iran, he said the goal should be to liberate the Iranian people and not be at war with them.
Greene and Johnson's Critiques an Extension of Overall Discontent Within the GOP
The current backlash against Trump is a continuation of the discontent within a large sector of the Republican Party. Joe Kent, Trump's former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), resigned from his post on March 17. In an Instagram post about his resignation, Kent said that the conflict in Iran was a "lie" that was influenced by outside pressures. The combat veteran also said that a "misinformation campaign" was fueling the role of the U.S. in the war in the Middle East.
Trump has not discounted the possibility of putting boots on the ground in Iran, making many Americans nervous about the possibility of a lengthy and costly war. More than a dozen American military service members have already lost their lives due to this war.
Former GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz told people gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that a ground invasion in Iran would make the U.S. less safe and poorer. This sentiment was echoed by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace. The representative from South Carolina said that while she supports Trump, she would not support troops on the ground in the Middle East.
Recent polls demonstrate that the war in Iran is not popular among Americans. While most Republicans approve of how the Trump administration is handling conflict, only 33% of Americans overall support the president's initiatives.
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