Senate flips course on Trump’s Iran war powers rebuke

Senate rejects – After quickly moving toward a resolution to pull U.S. troops out of the Iran conflict, the Senate late Wednesday night rejected a war powers push, swinging votes from previously supporting Republicans. The final tally was 47-50-1, and Trump celebrated the shif

Late Wednesday night, the Senate room moved like it had changed its mind.

One day after adopting a resolution aimed at removing US military forces from the conflict with Iran. the Senate walked back its rebuke of President Donald Trump’s handling of the war. Instead of advancing a similar war powers measure. senators rejected the attempt—an about-face that came amid fresh tension over whether Congress was undercutting Trump’s negotiating posture.

The vote landed after Trump publicly pushed back on Senate Republicans who supported an Iran war powers resolution on Tuesday and on Republicans who later appeared to miss that vote. Trump framed the issue as one of leverage at the negotiating table with Iran—and the Senate’s shifting votes reflected exactly that fight over power.

Three senators were central to the turnaround. GOP Sens. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy—both of whom had previously voted to rein in the president’s war powers on Iran—changed their votes. Paul voted present. Cassidy voted against advancing the resolution.

Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, both GOP senators, voted for the resolution again. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against it, as he had before.

With the final tally at 47-50-1, Trump turned quickly to celebration. He welcomed the vote on Truth Social, pointed to Paul’s and Cassidy’s shifts, and wrote, “This vote puts Iran on notice!”

Earlier Wednesday, the pressure had been more personal. At a tense Senate GOP lunch with Trump, Cassidy and the president directly clashed over the conflict. In that meeting. Cassidy told Trump he would continue voting for war powers measures until Congress and the American people were given more information about what was happening. Cassidy later described his message to reporters: “I stood and said. ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on. It was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved, and I want to know what’s going on,” Cassidy said.

But later the same day. Cassidy reversed course after receiving a “thorough briefing.” He said he received it from Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff on Iran. Cassidy then posted on X to thank them for what he called a thorough briefing and for the quick invitation to the White House to address concerns.

Paul’s shift was different in tone, but it also tied directly back to Trump’s negotiating argument. The Kentucky Republican wrote on X that his view of the war hadn’t changed. Still, he said Trump asked him to give consideration to the president’s negotiating position. “My opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times. But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position. I will do so. My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace. ” Paul wrote.

At the Capitol Hill meeting that preceded Wednesday’s vote, Trump also criticized GOP Sens. Dave McCormick and Mitch McConnell for missing Tuesday’s vote. McConnell remains hospitalized. McCormick was on Air Force One with the president en route to an event in Pennsylvania during the vote.

The Senate’s Wednesday decision also landed in a pattern that has been difficult for lawmakers to ignore. This vote marked the 11th time the Senate has voted on an Iran war powers measure since the beginning of the year. The resolution at issue had been discharged from committee in a floor vote last month. in another case of GOP absences. But Democrats wanted to wait to push for a follow-up vote to ensure they had the support to pass it. Republicans brought it to the floor Wednesday night hoping to defeat the measure.

All of this has unfolded while Trump has repeatedly attacked Republicans who backed war powers steps. After the House adopted a concurrent resolution 215 to 208 earlier this month—where four House Republicans voted with Democrats—Trump called those Republicans “GRANDSTANDERS” and described their action as “unpatriotic” in a post on Truth Social. After the Senate also adopted a concurrent resolution on Tuesday. 50-48. Trump called the four Senate Republicans who backed it “losers. ” writing. “These Senators have just made my job more difficult.”.

Some Democrats, meanwhile, kept arguing that war powers votes matter even after the US reached a preliminary agreement with Iran. Tim Kaine of Virginia said passage of a war powers resolution was necessary. He told reporters last week. “I think it’s a good time to have the vote to say. ‘Hey. if we’re really in a period of maybe some stability here. let’s not just allow it to start up again without Congress being involved in that decision.”.

By Wednesday night. the Senate’s vote delivered a different message—one that turned on shifting support from Republicans who had appeared. just days earlier. ready to press the president. The final result. 47-50-1. left the question hanging in the open: when Congress tries to put guardrails around executive authority. how much room will it be given when negotiations—and access to information—enter the room.

Senate Trump Iran war powers Rand Paul Bill Cassidy Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski John Fetterman JD Vance Steve Witkoff Truth Social negotiating position