Senate Republicans Reject War Powers Measure After Trump Pressure

Senate Republicans voted down a war‑powers resolution during a late‑night session, just hours after former President Donald Trump publicly rebuked them for opposing his Iran agenda.

During a Capitol Hill lunch earlier that Wednesday, the President is reported to have confronted GOP senators. The day before, they had infuriated the White House by permitting a vote aimed at halting Trump’s military actions in Iran.

Trump engaged in a heated exchange with Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had sided with Democrats on the resolution. Cassidy had finished third in Louisiana’s recent Senate primary after Trump urged voters to support his opponent.

After the luncheon, Cassidy told reporters that Trump had challenged him with the question, “Why would anyone support the War Powers Act?”

Cassidy responded, “Is that a rhetorical question, or are you seeking a genuine answer?”

Later that day, Cassidy accepted an invitation to receive a private briefing at the White House from Senator JD Vance and Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. He subsequently returned to the Capitol to oppose a second, nearly identical war‑powers resolution.

Cassidy added, “I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the swift invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns,” noting that he had lost his recent re‑election bid after Trump endorsed his opponent, in a post on X.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who has repeatedly joined Democrats in attempting to curb the conflict, abstained to “give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace,” he explained on X. The resolution fell short with a 47‑50‑1 vote just before midnight on Wednesday, prompting the Senate to adjourn for a two‑week recess.

It remains uncertain whether the outcome will suffice to satisfy Trump, who had labeled the dissenting Republicans “losers” and referred to Cassidy as a “lunatic” following their contentious lunch.

The vote nonetheless signaled to Trump that a faction of Republican senators remains eager to placate him, even as tensions have escalated recently and he opted Wednesday morning to postpone signing a broadly supported housing measure.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and several fellow GOP colleagues contacted Trump after the vote. Thune conveyed to reporters that the President was “pleased with the outcome.”

Trump subsequently thanked Thune on social media and pointed out that Cassidy and Paul had altered their votes. He added, “This vote puts Iran on notice!”

The war‑powers resolution defeated on Wednesday followed a similar measure adopted on Tuesday that had also cleared the House. Both votes were largely symbolic, lacking any binding legal effect.

Associated Press contributed reporting

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