Senate Republicans Reject War Powers Resolution After Trump Berates Them At Capitol Meeting

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans who were berated by President Trump complete guidance to his warfare successful Iran held a late-night ballot Wednesday to effort to appease him, rejecting a warfare powers solution a time aft a akin measurement passed.

Trump harangued GOP senators look to look earlier successful nan time for allowing a ballot to artifact his warfare successful Iran connected Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to attraction connected election-year affordability issues and brought overmuch of nan chamber’s business to a halt. He exchanged peculiarly harsh words pinch Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, 1 of 4 Republicans who had voted pinch Democrats connected nan measure.

Hours later, though, Cassidy was invited to person a individual briefing connected nan warfare astatine nan White House from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff. Cassidy past returned to nan Capitol to ballot against a abstracted but astir identical warfare powers resolution.

“I want to convey Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for nan thorough briefing this day connected Iran. I admit nan speedy invitation to nan White House to reside galore of my concerns,” said Cassidy, who mislaid reelection past period aft Trump endorsed his opponent, successful a station connected X.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has many times voted pinch Democrats to halt nan war, voted coming this clip “to springiness nan President much abstraction and leverage to discuss a lasting peace,” he said connected X. The measurement grounded 47-50-1 conscionable earlier midnight connected Wednesday, and nan Senate past near municipality for a two-week recess.

It’s unclear whether nan move will beryllium capable to appease Trump, who had called nan Republicans “losers” for voting against his warfare and had called Cassidy a “lunatic” astatine nan luncheon aft their tense exchange. But nan ballot was a clear awesome to nan president from Republican senators who still want to placate him, contempt expanding tensions successful caller weeks and his determination Wednesday greeting to reverse himself and hold signing a lodging measure that received overwhelming bipartisan support.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and a mini group of his Senate GOP colleagues called Trump aft nan vote. Thune told reporters that nan president was “pleased pinch nan outcome.”

Trump later thanked Thune successful a societal media station and noted that Cassidy and Paul had switched their votes. “This ballot puts Iran connected notice!” he wrote.

The warfare powers measurement blocked by nan Senate connected Wednesday was connected a abstracted way from nan astir identical solution adopted connected Tuesday, which had besides been passed by nan House. Both votes were mostly symbolic, and nan measures do not transportation nan afloat unit of law.

Cassidy had crisp words for Trump

Invited by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to speak astatine a GOP luncheon successful nan Capitol, Trump had signaled up of clip that he would usage nan closed-door gathering to push senators to walk his proof-of-citizenship voting bill. But nan speech was much focused connected Tuesday’s ballot connected warfare powers.

Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy stood up and defended his vote.

“I stood and said, ‘You person not told nan American group what’s going on,’” Cassidy told reporters aft nan meeting. “This was expected to past 4 weeks, it’s lasted 4 months. Our original objectives person not been achieved.”

The 2 men “went backmost and forth,” Cassidy said, and he “matched his reside and volume.” Cassidy said that he yet de-escalated, but he did not want to beryllium bullied.

“I americium voting for warfare powers until I get a briefing,” he said afterward.

Trump many times told Cassidy to beryllium down, according to a personification acquainted pinch nan backstage gathering who was not authorized to talk it. At 1 point, nan president called nan legislator a “lunatic.”

Publicly, Trump said afterward that they had “a really awesome meeting.” But he hinted astatine nan discord.

“We for illustration everyone successful nan room,” Trump told reporters connected his measurement out. “I don’t for illustration a fewer people, but that’s OK.”

The luncheon capped weeks of clash betwixt Trump and Senate Republicans and added a caller furniture of vexation arsenic Tuesday’s ballot was nan first clip nan Senate had adopted a warfare powers solution connected nan Iran war. Trump made clear he was successful nary temper to discuss earlier it moreover started, calling disconnected a scheduled signing ceremonial connected a lodging measure that passed some chambers overwhelmingly this week and that GOP lawmakers were touting arsenic an election-year achievement.

Trump reverses connected lodging bill

Republican senators were eager for a conciliatory gathering pinch nan president aft escalating tensions successful caller weeks. But Trump upended their plans erstwhile he declared connected societal media conscionable beforehand that he wouldn’t motion nan authorities until they nonstop him nan SAVE America Act, his measure to require impervious of citizenship for each voters.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he doesn’t cognize why Trump is holding nan lodging measure “hostage” for nan voting measure that “will ne'er walk successful this Congress.”

“It makes nary consciousness to me,” Tillis said arsenic he walked into nan luncheon.

Thune said nan lodging legislation, which intends to little costs, is “an affordability issue,” and that ”eventually I dream he finds a measurement to motion it.”

It’s unclear if Trump mightiness veto nan authorities aliases if nan precocious Wednesday nighttime ballot will alteration his outlook. But by rejecting a nationalist measure signing, Republicans interest that Trump is indicating a level of indifference to voters’ affordability concerns heading into November’s midterm elections.

Trump and Senate Republicans person been astatine odds

Trump’s move connected nan lodging measure is his latest reversal aft weeks of being astatine likelihood pinch Senate Republicans.

Trump has blocked nan Senate from confirming 1 of his ain nominees, asked them to money parts of his White House ballroom task contempt guidance and forced them to take sides nan Iran warfare moreover arsenic they question nan strategy and endgame.

Trump has besides helped whittle down his ain support successful nan Senate aft endorsing superior challengers to 2 GOP incumbents who were antecedently reliable votes for his schedule — Cassidy and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Both men person go much captious of Trump since losing reelection.

“If we’re going to triumph nan midterm elections, we request to get connected nan aforesaid page,” Cornyn said up of nan meeting. “We’re not connected nan aforesaid page now, and that I deliberation is dangerous.”

Trump pushes Thune connected SAVE America Act

Trump has pressed Republicans for months to termination nan Senate filibuster and attraction connected nan proof-of-citizenship voting bill, moreover though Thune has many times told him that neither has nan votes.

While Thune remains celebrated successful his convention and cordial pinch nan president, he has spent overmuch of his clip lately telling Trump what he doesn’t want to hear. Thune said Tuesday that while Trump and immoderate successful their convention want to spot nan voting measure pass, “it’s conscionable not realistic.”

Thune devoted weeks of level clip to nan voting measure earlier this twelvemonth and has said he supports it. But he has many times said location aren’t capable votes to scrap nan filibuster that triggers a 60-vote period to walk astir bills successful nan 53-47 Senate. And Democrats are uniformly opposed to nan bill.

“I deliberation group astatine immoderate constituent person to travel to grips pinch that,” Thune said.

Jalonick, Sloan, Cappelletti and Mascaro constitute for nan Associated Press. AP writers Josh Boak and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.