Trump gets into screaming match with rebel Republican calling him a ‘bully’ during explosive fight over Iran war
Donald Trump had a fierce debate with Republican senators at a private meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday over limiting their authority to lead the war with Iran.
The violent, closed-door meeting took place hours after the Republican-controlled Senate passed bipartisan legislation ordering it to end the war with Iran or seek approval from Congress to continue it. Four GOP senators broke ranks to take a swipe at the President.
The move is the most significant Republican rebuke of the President to date and a sign that the gap between him and his party is widening.
Trump met privately with the entire Republican Senate majority behind closed doors on Capitol Hill and demanded to know why they had decided to limit his authority to wage war.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy tried to explain his reasons, but the President quickly resorted to personal insults. Cassidy is one of four Republican senators, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul, who joined Democrats in voting on war powers.
‘HE [Trump] He was asking why anyone would vote for the loser of power. “Is this a rhetorical question or do you want to know?” I said. “I want to know,” Cassidy told the Daily Mail.
Cassidy at one point began “yelling” at the President, and Trump responded by calling him “crazy” and telling him to “sit down.”
The Republican lawmaker denied this and referred to Trump as “brother.” Before Cassidy settled back into his seat, the President told him he had no “brother.”
Trump also mocked the senator for losing his primary, which the senator took as an attempt by the President to bully him.
The Republican-controlled Senate passed bipartisan legislation ordering Trump to end the war with Iran or seek approval from Congress to continue the war
Trump met privately behind closed doors with the entire Senate Republican majority on Capitol Hill to discuss why they decided to vote to limit his authority to wage war
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy tried to explain their reasoning, but the President quickly resorted to personal insults.
Cassidy lost the Republican primary in May and will leave the Senate in January, making him the first elected incumbent senator to lose his primary since 2012.
‘I will not be bullied when I feel I am asking a question that the American people need to know. And so at that point it started to escalate,” Cassidy told the Daily Mail.
Trump’s meeting with the senator followed his controversial decision to abruptly cancel the signing ceremony of the bipartisan housing bill.
The president said he would not sign the bill until the Senate passes the controversial Save America Act, which would require Americans to present voter ID to cast an ballot.
Asked about Trump’s refusal to hold the housing bill hostage, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters: ‘That was the call he should have made.’
As he left the Capitol, Trump called it a “great meeting” but said he was disappointed with some Republican lawmakers.
‘We love our leader. “We actually like everyone in the room,” Trump said. ‘I don’t like a few people but that’s okay, I think you know who they are.’
Thune did not accompany the President out of the Capitol following his comments to the press about GOP lawmakers.
Senator Cassidy referred to Trump as ‘brother’ during heated debate
Thune appeared with the President at the Capitol building to meet with GOP lawmakers
Trump’s relationship with the Senate GOP has been in decline since the President backed primary rivals to two Republican incumbents seen as Thune’s main allies: Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Cassidy.
The chamber’s GOP majority, once a reliable and loyal bloc, has become increasingly willing to break with the President on war powers, spending and limits on executive authority.
