House Speaker Mike Johnson Still Says Us Isn’t At War With Iran — Troop Deployments Be Damned

It whitethorn not person nan charismatic title, but President Donald Trump’s military task successful Iran is opening to person each nan trappings of a capital-W war.

On Tuesday evening, news reports emerged that nan Pentagon will dispatch members of nan U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that Trump was prepared to “unleash hell” if Tehran did not travel to nan negotiating table.

Just don’t show that to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republicans. The aforesaid night, nan Senate voted down different War Powers Act solution to unit Congress to rein successful nan Trump management connected Iran.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson was little than forthcoming astir it.

“The build up of troops is very different than boots connected nan ground,” Johnson told The Independent astatine his play property conference. “We don't person boots connected nan ground. I don't deliberation that's nan intention, but I deliberation Iran should watch that build up, and they request to return statement of that.”

There’s a large logic for this: Americans conscionable don’t for illustration nan warfare successful Iran. An Associated Press-NORC canvass showed that 59 percent of Americans deliberation nan warfare successful Iran has gone excessively far, pinch 63 percent of independents saying so. In addition, 62 percent of Americans reason putting U.S. troops connected nan crushed successful Iran.

That whitethorn beryllium why Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) played coy erstwhile asked astir nan study of sending successful troops.

"I'm told that that's not real, truthful I haven't been personally briefed connected that," she told The Independent. "I don't want boots connected nan ground."

Boebert, for illustration her friend-turned rival erstwhile Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, represents nan isolationist helping of nan Republican Party. Even arsenic Johnson has pushed for a supplemental bill to money nan measurement and restock nan U.S.’s armament stock, Boebert has come retired against specified a spending package.

And Boebert is not nan only 1 who is not happy astir nan thought of boots connected nan ground. Rep. Nancy Mace, nan Trump critic-turned-fan who is now moving for politician of South Carolina, excoriated management leadership aft a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“The justifications presented to nan American nationalist for nan warfare successful Iran were not nan aforesaid subject objectives we were briefed connected coming successful nan House Armed Services Committee,” she said connected societal media. “This spread is profoundly troubling. The longer this warfare continues, nan faster it will suffer nan support of Congress and nan American people.”

Mace has besides been sniping astatine her chap Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham, for his bellicose rhetoric. There’s a longstanding beef there. Mace ran against Graham successful a Senate superior successful 2014.

The 2 Republican women person ever-so-slightly been consenting to break pinch Trump while still supporting him, going backmost to erstwhile they signed nan discharge petition to unit a ballot to merchandise files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

And nan co-sponsors of that bill, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are now pushing for different War Powers Act resolution.

Khanna told The Independent he is assured he tin get much Republican support this spell around.

“I deliberation we could get immoderate Republicans, especially. President refuses to norm retired crushed troops,” he said. “There are a number of Republicans made that clear, that’s their reddish line.”

Democrats person agelong been furious astatine nan truth that location person been nary unfastened hearings regarding nan war. That anger is only growing. Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, who was among nan Democrats who recorded a video saying U.S. servicemembers tin garbage forbidden orders, put it plainly.

“I deliberation that this management should beryllium accountable and answering to nan American people,” Goodlander, a erstwhile intelligence serviceman for nan Navy Reserve, told The Independent. “War should not beryllium conducted successful secret. War should not beryllium conducted pinch blank checks.”

And Sen. Chris Murphy, who has led nan messaging against nan war, has travel retired conscionable arsenic forcefully.

“Trump is making this up connected a time to time basis,” he told The Independent. “It is costing Americans billions of dollars, and nan costs are conscionable going to proceed to spell up.”

The increasing unpopularity of nan war, arsenic good arsenic Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s unwillingness to do thing to rein Trump in, mightiness beryllium nan undoing of nan Republican majority.

A abstracted Quinnipiac canvass showed that Democrats person an 11-point advantage successful position of whom voters want to power nan House of Representatives.

Johnson has been making nan lawsuit that nan 2026 midterms will beryllium a “Contrast for America.” He’s right, but not successful nan measurement he thinks; 2026 will beryllium a referendum connected really overmuch Americans want to spot Trump’s powerfulness spell unchecked.