A growing number of Republicans are expressing public concern about the possibility of US President Donald Trump sending US ground troops to Iran as the Pentagon sends thousands of US paratroopers and other troops to the Middle East.
Almost every GOP congressman has voted for Trump’s military campaign. But a growing number, including some veterans, are expressing new reservations as evidence mounts that Trump may escalate the war to reopen.Strait of Hormuzacquiring Iran’s nuclear arsenal or accomplishing other strategic objectives.
“I’m sure, I really hope this doesn’t turn into a boots-on-the-ground situation,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Thursday. “My biggest concern all this time is that this would turn into another protracted war in the Middle East.”
“While I don’t want to try to take away any of the president’s ability to carry out this operation, I know many of our supporters and many members of Congress are very concerned” about that possibility, Crane added.
The comments from a MAGA-backed former Navy SEAL who served in five squadrons during the war underscore growing concern among Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Others are warning publicly and privately that the mid-term resistance to any Iranian ground invasion will be swift and fierce.
“We’re losing 60 to 70 seats,” said one Republican who asked not to be named to speak openly about the issue.
House Democrats are planning to force another vote on a resolution that would block US military action in Iran. But they have delayed it until the House returns from recess in mid-April because of their lack of support and the need to garner more GOP support after a similar measure failed earlier this month.
House Democratic leaders have been working to sway some Democrats who opposed the final war powers resolution and now believe they only need one more Republican to say yes at this point, according to three people who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about the private conversation.
“There are no American soldiers on the ground,” Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) said in an interview, suggesting she could become the third Republican to break with Trump and help pass a Democratic-led war powers measure next month.
“If we are in this phase where there are troops on the ground, then we are in a different phase of the conflict, which requires the input of Congress,” Mace said.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), another retired Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and represents a competitive district, said in a “candid” interview that he does not support uniformed U.S. troops being stationed in Iran.
Van Orden said he believes Trump has “learned” from the mistakes of past presidents who have kept the country stuck in endless wars abroad.
House GOP leaders are recalling many of the promises their front-runners who won hard races made to their constituents: Republicans will not continue endless military campaigns and regime change abroad.
When asked last week about the Pentagon sending several thousand US Marines to the Middle East, Speaker Mike Johnson said, “I haven’t seen the details.”
Following reports of more troop deployments this week, Johnson said the US is “finishing up” the current military operation against Iran and believes US boots on the ground are “not the intention” Trump is after.
“It shouldn’t be necessary” for US forces to invade Iran, he added in a Fox News interview on Thursday. “I think we can work this out without it.”
But concern is growing among the GOP’s rank and file, especially after a secret meeting Wednesday didn’t provide many answers to members of the Armed Services Committee about the administration’s plans to send divisions to the region near Iran.
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), one of the Democrats’ biggest targets in November, also warned against a protracted war when asked this week about U.S. troops heading to the Middle East.
“I think we certainly don’t want to get into another Eternal War,” Mackenzie said in an interview.
“So I hope this is either a precautionary measure or a commitment to get a better deal from the Iranians,” he added. “But we need to know what the path forward is, and we as members of Congress look forward to getting an update from the administration.”
Representative Gabe Evans of Colorado, another Republican who is being heavily targeted by Democrats, suggested the deployment “is just part of the conversation … so this comes back to the art of the deal.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see boots on the ground,” Evans added. “But if you don’t, like you, if you draw a hard line and say, ‘We’re not going to do this at all,’ you’ve taken that off the table as a negotiating point.”
Trump weighed in directly on congressional Republicans on Wednesday about his decision to launch military strikes against Iran without first getting congressional approval.
“I’m not going to use the word ‘war,’ because they say if you use the word ‘war,’ that’s probably not a good thing,” the president said at the NRCC’s annual fundraising dinner. “They don’t like the word ‘war,’ because you have to get permission. So I’m going to use the word ‘military operation,’ which is true. It’s called military destruction.”
Trump also acknowledged the high energy and oil prices as a result of the war, but maintained that it was more important to deal with the “cancer” of Iran despite the risks. House Republicans are also grappling with the fallout from higher gas prices and the potential price tag of $200 billion in war and other military funding that Congress will soon have to debate.
Republicans point out that sentiment for war so far is partisan, but there is little tolerance for high gas prices among American voters.
