Republican senators line up behind Trump on Israel-Iran conflict as MAGA base splits on issue

Senate Republicans largely lined up behind President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict between Iran and Israel and said they trusted Trump’s judgment on whether the United States ought to involve itself.

Trump said again Wednesday that he has not decided whether the U.S. should get more involved in the He signaled to reporters that he would decide at the last moment, stating he’d make the decision “one second before.”

The issue of getting more involved in the conflict has divided Trump’s MAGA base, with some pointing to his campaign promise to keep America out of foreign wars.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a defense hawk who said he spoke to Trump last night, endorsed the use of force if diplomatic efforts fail.

“Either you want them to have a nuclear weapon, or you don’t,” Graham said. “And if you don’t, if diplomacy fails, you use force.”

Most Republicans said that they agreed with Trump that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“I think this is something on which the entire world can agree: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, or the ability to deliver a nuclear warhead, period,” Sen. John Kennedy said.

“American foreign policy is always a balance between … between values and interests. The value here is obvious to everyone. Iran cannot have a bomb. It’s just unthinkable, and I support the president unconditionally on that,” Kennedy said.

Sen. Mike Rounds said there is evidence that Iran was getting closer to building a nuclear weapon.

“If Israel has a plan which is appropriate to take care of the problem, then we don’t need to be there, but we should never take or eliminate options that are available to the president in exercising his authority as the commander-in-chief,” Rounds said.

Sen. Kevin Cramer said he would support Trump’s decision if he decided to enter the conflict, but would also support a decision to instead “assist Israel in getting the job done.”

“Iran’s made that really crystal clear. They pledged to wipe out the United States of America. I prefer not to let them get here,” Cramer said. “I prefer preemptive prevention of war rather than having to end one after it gets to our soil, right?”

Cramer said Trump has been handling the crisis “brilliantly”and applauded Trump’s suggestion that he may or may not get involved.

“I think that’s pretty honest, right? I may or I may not. I think that that the element of of surprise, if you will, is maintained by an answer that doesn’t tell you what he’s going to do,” he said. “It’d be crazy for the president to give a warning, if you will, of what he may do.”

Both Republicans and Democrats said they would like Congress to have a role in determining whether the U.S. gets involved in the conflict, but Republicans were much less forceful.

“I would love to see Congress have a role, but we certainly don’t have time in the midst of what we all see going on for Congress to sit and cogitate for six or eight months,” Kennedy said.

Democrats, on the other hand, said Trump should get Congress’ approval before taking any military action.

“At some point, the president must come to Congress if there is to be active, kinetic military involvement that constitutes war. That’s the Constitution, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. “And I believe that the president has to face accountability at some point, for the use of military force in combat, in a war. And the question is, when that point is.”

Other Democrats said the U.S. should be trying to de-escalate the conflict rather than inflame it.

“We don’t need to escalate in Iran. That doesn’t make anyone in the Middle East safer, and it certainly doesn’t make the United States any safer right now, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “The role of the United States should be to help de-escalate, to push for negotiations, not to try to set more things afire.”