WASHINGTON — Few Republican lawmakers said anything publicly about President Donald Trump’s startling social media post last week warning Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” but privately, in a large text chat, a group of them read his threat with alarm.
The chat is among members of Congress’ “Main Street Caucus,” a group of almost 100 GOP lawmakers. One Republican lawmaker questioned how the remarks were helpful to those having to defend Trump’s costly war with Iran and complained that the president’s rhetoric isn’t doing the party any favors, according to three House Republicans with direct knowledge of the exchange. Multiple members then chimed in to echo similar concerns.
“People were pissed,” one of the House Republicans told NBC News.
Another GOP lawmaker said point-blank: You cannot just threaten to erase an entire civilization. Some in the group debated whether and how to respond but, in the end, most stayed silent for fear of angering Trump or undermining him in wartime.
The private venting session, which has not been previously reported, reflects a growing uneasiness within the GOP that Trump’s prolonged war with Iran could drag down the party in the midterm elections in November.
