Senior Republicans have finally gone public over the administration’s Iran adventure. After yesterday’s behind-closed doors briefing for senior House and Senate defense lawmakers, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (R-AL), Mike Rogers, told reporters: “We want to know more about what’s going on, what the options are, and why they’re being considered. And we’re just not getting enough answers on those questions.” Rogers has been one of President Trump’s most ardent defenders on the military assault on Iran.
“We just wanted them to tell us what’s the plan, and we didn’t get any answers,” Rogers said. “I understand they can’t give us, they shouldn’t give us, specific operational details. But generally, we should be able to get more texture than we’re receiving from them.” He left the administration with a direct warning: “I conveyed to them at the end of this hearing, this has consequences if you don’t remedy it.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), another strong Trump supporter on the Iran war, actually walked out of the briefing in frustration over what seems to be no-exit strategy. She posted to X that she “will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing.” In a follow-up posting, she stated: “The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee. This gap is deeply troubling. The longer this war continues, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people.”
