WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump on Wednesday over opposition to his war in Iran held a late-night vote to try to appease him, voting down a war powers resolution a day after a similar measure passed.
Trump harangued GOP senators face to face earlier in the day for allowing a on Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues and brought much of the chamber鈥檚 business to a halt. He exchanged particularly harsh words with , one of four Republicans who had voted with Democrats on the measure.
Hours later, though, Cassidy received a personal briefing on the war at the White House from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff and returned to the Capitol to vote against a separate war powers resolution. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has repeatedly voted with Democrats to halt the war, voted present this time 鈥渢o give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace,鈥� he said on X. The measure failed 47-50-1.
鈥淚 want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns,鈥� said Cassidy, who lost reelection last month after Trump endorsed his opponent, in a post on X.
It’s unclear whether the move will be enough to appease Trump, who had called the Republicans 鈥渓osers” for voting against his war and had called Cassidy a 鈥渓unatic鈥� at the lunch after their tense exchange. But the vote was a clear signal to the president from Republican senators who still want to placate him, despite increasing tensions in recent weeks and his decision Wednesday morning to reverse himself and delay signing a housing bill that received overwhelming bipartisan support.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and a small group of his Senate GOP colleagues called Trump after the vote. Thune said the president was 鈥減leased with the outcome.”
Trump later thanked Thune in a social media post and noted that Cassidy and Paul had switched their votes. 鈥淭his vote puts Iran on notice!鈥� he wrote.
Cassidy had sharp words for Trump
Invited by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to speak at a GOP luncheon in the Capitol, Trump had signaled ahead of time that he would use the closed-door meeting to push senators to pass his . But the conversation was more focused on Tuesday鈥檚 vote on war powers, a mostly symbolic measure that allows Congress to rebuke the administration鈥檚 military actions. The House had passed its own version of the resolution earlier this month.
Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy, who last month after Trump endorsed an opponent, stood up and defended his vote.
鈥淚 stood and said, 鈥榊ou have not told the American people what鈥檚 going on,鈥欌�� Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. 鈥淭his was supposed to last four weeks, it鈥檚 lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.鈥�
The two men 鈥渨ent back and forth,鈥� Cassidy said, and he 鈥渕atched his tone and volume.” Cassidy said that he eventually de-escalated, but he did not want to be bullied.
鈥淚 am voting for war powers until I get a briefing,鈥� he said afterward.
Trump repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, according to a person familiar with the private meeting who was not authorized to discuss it. At one point, the president called the senator a 鈥渓unatic.”
Publicly, Trump said afterward that they had 鈥渁 really great meeting.” But he hinted at the discord.
鈥淲e like everyone in the room,” Trump told reporters on his way out. “I don鈥檛 like a few people, but that鈥檚 OK.鈥�
The luncheon capped weeks of friction between Trump and Senate Republicans and added a new layer of frustration as Tuesday’s vote was the first time the Senate had adopted a war powers resolution on the Iran war. Trump made clear he was in no mood to compromise before it even started, calling off a scheduled signing ceremony on a and that GOP lawmakers were touting as an election-year achievement.
Trump reverses on housing bill
Republican senators were eager for a conciliatory meeting with the president after escalating tensions in recent weeks. But Trump upended their plans when he declared on social media just beforehand that he wouldn’t sign the legislation until they send him the SAVE America Act, his bill to require proof of citizenship for all voters.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he doesn’t know why Trump is holding the housing bill 鈥渉ostage鈥� for the voting bill that 鈥渨ill never pass in this Congress.鈥�
鈥淚t makes no sense to me,鈥� Tillis said as he walked into the luncheon.
Thune said the housing legislation, which aims to lower costs, is 鈥渁n affordability issue,鈥� and that 鈥漞ventually I hope he finds a way to sign it.鈥�
It’s unclear if Trump might veto the legislation or if the late Wednesday night vote will change his outlook. But by rejecting a public bill signing, Republicans worry that Trump is indicating a level of indifference to voters鈥� affordability concerns heading into November鈥檚 midterm elections.
Trump and Senate Republicans have been at odds
Trump’s move on the housing bill is his latest reversal after weeks of being at odds with Senate Republicans.
Trump has blocked the Senate from confirming , asked them to despite opposition and forced them to defend the even as they .
Trump has also helped whittle down his own support in the Senate after endorsing primary challengers to two GOP incumbents who were previously reliable votes for his agenda 鈥� Cassidy and Texas Sen. . Both men have become more critical of Trump since losing reelection.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to win the midterm elections, we need to get on the same page,鈥� Cornyn said ahead of the meeting. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not on the same page now, and that I think is dangerous.鈥�
Trump pushes Thune on SAVE America Act
Trump has pressed Republicans for months to kill the Senate filibuster and focus on the even though Thune has repeatedly told him that .
While Thune remains popular in his conference and cordial with the president, he has spent much of his time lately telling Trump what he doesn鈥檛 want to hear. Thune said Tuesday that while Trump and some in their conference want to see the voting bill pass, 鈥渋t鈥檚 just not realistic.鈥�
Thune devoted weeks of floor time to the voting bill earlier this year and has said he supports it. But he has repeatedly said there aren鈥檛 enough votes to scrap the filibuster that triggers a 60-vote threshold to pass most bills in the 53-47 Senate. And Democrats are uniformly opposed to the bill.
鈥淚 think people at some point have to come to grips with that,鈥� Thune said.
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Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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