Trump’s Iran strategy and rhetoric face scrutiny as Congress returns from recess

[0:00] AMNA NAWAZ- Democrats in Congress tried unsuccessfully to limit President Trump's [0:04] war powers in Iran. While Republicans blocked the move today, it highlights a major unresolved [0:09] issue to take up when Congress fully returns from recess next week. At the same time, [0:14] there's growing concern among Democrats and some of the president's allies over the language he's [0:19] used this week, including that, quote, a whole civilization will die as negotiations with Iran [0:25] continued. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins is here now with how Congress is [0:30] responding to the ongoing war. So, Lisa, let's start with Congress and what specifically we [0:34] expect when they come back. In terms of action, Democrats in both chambers are planning to force [0:39] roll call votes on their resolution to end military action in Iran and force the president to get [0:45] congressional consent before he does anymore. Now, that kind of move has failed in the Senate [0:50] before. I expect it to fail again. But House Democrats think they may have a chance of a [0:55] symbolic victory there. They need just two Republicans, depending on who shows up, to pass [1:00] it. And they think with that civilization, quote, and with the back and forth over the ceasefire, [1:04] the confusion, that maybe they have a shot there. We also expect Democrats to keep pounding away at [1:10] the idea of the 25th Amendment. Many of our viewers know that's the part of the Constitution that says [1:15] a majority of the Cabinet can vote to remove the president. Now, we spoke with constitutional law [1:20] Professor Michael Gerhardt about this. He said the drafters may have had a good idea when they wrote [1:26] that, but it's really impractical. It is, I think, unimaginable to expect a cabinet to be turned, [1:37] an entire cabinet to turn against the president and put them there. In this situation, it's even less [1:44] likely because the president chose people for their loyalty. [1:51] And he says there really is zero chance that he sees this cabinet moving on Trump in that way at [1:57] this time. However, Democrats here are making a political point, really. They don't have the [2:01] ability to push Trump out. They don't have the votes. They don't have the power. They want to put [2:05] all of Trump's negatives on Republicans as we head into a midterm. [2:09] So let's talk more about those Republicans, how they're reacting to the president's rhetoric and [2:13] his approach to Iran. They may not necessarily want to remove him, but they're not exactly seeing [2:18] this the same way, are they? [2:19] Yeah. You know, I said this on Twitter, and it caused or X, I should say, it caused a little bit [2:23] of controversy. But really, I did not see the kind of avalanche or tidal wave of support that we [2:29] usually see for President Trump's big decisions from Republicans. That's not to say there was no [2:33] support. There was some, including from Burgess Owens. He's a congressman from Utah. And he wrote [2:39] this as the ceasefire news came across, saying it was a very positive step, and that he added, [2:44] Iran has been allowed to inflict terror for too long. But in contrast, look at Alaska Senator Lisa [2:49] Murkowski and what she wrote. She said the president's threat to wipe out Iran's civilization [2:54] just cannot be excused away. And it is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold [3:00] for 250 years. That's a fellow Republican. What about Republican leaders was one of my main [3:07] questions? There you see House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate leader John Thune. Neither one of them, [3:13] even to this day, has had any direct words about the president's actions in Iran, the ceasefire, [3:19] none of it. So their lack of comment, I think, is noteworthy. Meanwhile, who is going on social [3:24] media? Let's look at some faces, some loud voices from the right who used to be very big Trump supporters. [3:31] Now they're blasting the president for his Iran war policy from Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker [3:36] Carlson to Megyn Kelly there and Alex Jones. So when Congress returns next week, expect all of these [3:43] dynamics for Republicans to collide. What about the Democrats then? What does your reporting show on [3:47] whether they will actually try to impeach President Trump? It's a passionate debate behind the scenes, [3:52] especially for House Democrats right now. They know that they don't really have the votes to get it [3:57] through the House or the Senate, but they are concerned about what they see. And they also, [4:01] their base is pushing them to make a point. There are some, for example, like Senator Andy Kim, [4:06] who says Republicans should join in the impeachment effort. We know that Trump is unfit to be commander [4:13] in chief. He's dragged us into an unconstitutional, deeply unpopular and senseless war of choice with no [4:20] plan, no strategy about what happens next and how we get out of this. And let's be honest, [4:25] this war is not going well. It's making your life more expensive and less safe. Enough. [4:32] But many Democrats say, wait a minute, we get into an impeachment fight that we know we're probably [4:37] going to lose. That gets in the way of our bigger messages, which he's trying to get at [4:40] on affordability this year. You're going to be tracking all of this in the days ahead. [4:44] Lisa Desjardins, thank you very much. You're welcome.