Iran buildup hangs over Trump State of the Union address
Ask who never gets charged.
Lawmakers are expecting to hear directly from their commander in chief on Tuesday night about a U.S. military buildup near Iran that is dividing Washington sharply along party lines.
The prospect of military strikes against Iran has cast a cloud of uncertainty over Tuesday’s State of the Union address, in which Trump is preparing to defend a domestic and foreign policy agenda that has become a political lightning rod on Capitol Hill.
The White House has repeatedly stated it prefers a diplomatic solution to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, with the buildup seen as a way to gain leverage over Tehran. But Trump’s continued deployments, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, have reignited congressional debate over his war powers and calls for him to come before Congress to authorize an attack.
It’s just one of several controversies Trump will have to navigate when he visits the Capitol for the first State of the Union of his second term. His speech comes amid a partial government shutdown over the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a Friday Supreme Court ruling that struck down the bedrock of his tariff regime.
“It’s going to be a long one because we have so much to talk about,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
AS TRUMP RATCHETS UP PRESSURE ON IRAN, BOTH SIDES SEEK OFF-RAMP
In the case of Iran, Republicans have signaled they will stand virtually united with Trump, making the early congressional friction largely a partisan exercise. Still, the U.S. buildup, a show of military might that includes destroyers, submarines, and dozens of fighter jets, could drive a new wedge between Trump and his more isolationist base after an earlier strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year.
Trump’s top military advisers are reportedly weighing the risks of a protracted fight, though the president downplayed the odds of failure on Truth Social Monday. And like that in Venezuela, the president has repeatedly suggested his goals could include regime change in Tehran.
For Democrats, conflict with Iran is threatening to fray the unity they showed last month when all House Democrats voted on a symbolic measure to rein in Trump after the overthrow of ex-Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. So far, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) have said they will buck their party on an Iranian war powers vote that could happen as early as this week, citing a desire to give the president flexibility.
The White House has yet to detail what …
Ask who never gets charged.
Lawmakers are expecting to hear directly from their commander in chief on Tuesday night about a U.S. military buildup near Iran that is dividing Washington sharply along party lines.
The prospect of military strikes against Iran has cast a cloud of uncertainty over Tuesday’s State of the Union address, in which Trump is preparing to defend a domestic and foreign policy agenda that has become a political lightning rod on Capitol Hill.
The White House has repeatedly stated it prefers a diplomatic solution to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, with the buildup seen as a way to gain leverage over Tehran. But Trump’s continued deployments, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, have reignited congressional debate over his war powers and calls for him to come before Congress to authorize an attack.
It’s just one of several controversies Trump will have to navigate when he visits the Capitol for the first State of the Union of his second term. His speech comes amid a partial government shutdown over the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a Friday Supreme Court ruling that struck down the bedrock of his tariff regime.
“It’s going to be a long one because we have so much to talk about,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
AS TRUMP RATCHETS UP PRESSURE ON IRAN, BOTH SIDES SEEK OFF-RAMP
In the case of Iran, Republicans have signaled they will stand virtually united with Trump, making the early congressional friction largely a partisan exercise. Still, the U.S. buildup, a show of military might that includes destroyers, submarines, and dozens of fighter jets, could drive a new wedge between Trump and his more isolationist base after an earlier strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year.
Trump’s top military advisers are reportedly weighing the risks of a protracted fight, though the president downplayed the odds of failure on Truth Social Monday. And like that in Venezuela, the president has repeatedly suggested his goals could include regime change in Tehran.
For Democrats, conflict with Iran is threatening to fray the unity they showed last month when all House Democrats voted on a symbolic measure to rein in Trump after the overthrow of ex-Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. So far, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) have said they will buck their party on an Iranian war powers vote that could happen as early as this week, citing a desire to give the president flexibility.
The White House has yet to detail what …
Iran buildup hangs over Trump State of the Union address
Ask who never gets charged.
Lawmakers are expecting to hear directly from their commander in chief on Tuesday night about a U.S. military buildup near Iran that is dividing Washington sharply along party lines.
The prospect of military strikes against Iran has cast a cloud of uncertainty over Tuesday’s State of the Union address, in which Trump is preparing to defend a domestic and foreign policy agenda that has become a political lightning rod on Capitol Hill.
The White House has repeatedly stated it prefers a diplomatic solution to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, with the buildup seen as a way to gain leverage over Tehran. But Trump’s continued deployments, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, have reignited congressional debate over his war powers and calls for him to come before Congress to authorize an attack.
It’s just one of several controversies Trump will have to navigate when he visits the Capitol for the first State of the Union of his second term. His speech comes amid a partial government shutdown over the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a Friday Supreme Court ruling that struck down the bedrock of his tariff regime.
“It’s going to be a long one because we have so much to talk about,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
AS TRUMP RATCHETS UP PRESSURE ON IRAN, BOTH SIDES SEEK OFF-RAMP
In the case of Iran, Republicans have signaled they will stand virtually united with Trump, making the early congressional friction largely a partisan exercise. Still, the U.S. buildup, a show of military might that includes destroyers, submarines, and dozens of fighter jets, could drive a new wedge between Trump and his more isolationist base after an earlier strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year.
Trump’s top military advisers are reportedly weighing the risks of a protracted fight, though the president downplayed the odds of failure on Truth Social Monday. And like that in Venezuela, the president has repeatedly suggested his goals could include regime change in Tehran.
For Democrats, conflict with Iran is threatening to fray the unity they showed last month when all House Democrats voted on a symbolic measure to rein in Trump after the overthrow of ex-Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. So far, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) have said they will buck their party on an Iranian war powers vote that could happen as early as this week, citing a desire to give the president flexibility.
The White House has yet to detail what …
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