Senate rejects bill to limit Donald J.Trump’s military authority on Iran after clash with GOP senators
The upper chamber narrowly voted down a resolution that would have directed removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless authorized by Congress.
The upper chamber narrowly voted down a resolution that would have directed removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless authorized by Congress.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald J.Trump celebrated the Senate’s rejection of a bill that would have curtailed his war powers on Iran by mentioning the source (see justthenews) on a Truth Social post on June 25, 2026 at 4:30 AM EST.
Here is the full post (see truthsocial): “After testy exchange, Senate hands Trump win by rejecting bill to rein in his war on Iran: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/after-testy-exchange-senate-hands-trump-win-rejecting-bill-rein-his-war-iran”
The Senate vote came late Wednesday night after a contentious meeting between Trump and Republican senators on Capitol Hill. The chamber narrowly rejected a resolution proposed by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia that would have directed Trump to “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran” unless authorized by Congress (see cbsnews.com). The measure would have required Trump’s signature had it cleared both chambers.
The defeat of the Kaine resolution followed a separate vote Tuesday in which the Senate approved a Democrat-led concurrent resolution on war powers. Four Republicans crossed party lines to support that symbolic measure, which does not carry the force of law (see cbsnews.com).
Trump’s meeting with GOP senators turned heated when he sternly told Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy to sit down after Cassidy pressed questions about the War Powers Resolution. “He raised his voice. I lost my temper. That’s not appropriate. It’s the Irish in me, but I again matched his tone and his volume,” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting (see cbsnews.com). Cassidy, whose Senate career is nearing its end after Trump backed a rival in the Louisiana Republican primary, said he made “no apologies for standing up to the president.”
Trump also expressed disdain for Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski during the session. “It was very awkward when she walked in right after he said that,” a source directly familiar with the meeting said (see cbsnews.com). Murkowski arrived late and told reporters she had a previously scheduled event.
Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said Trump talked about being “undermined” by Republicans who supported the Iran resolution and “expressed some disappointment.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama described the tone as a “halftime talk” (see cbsnews.com).
The outcome signals a reduced congressional check on presidential war powers regarding Iran. The rejection of the Kaine resolution preserves Trump’s broad discretion over military operations in the region, leaving the administration free to continue its current posture without explicit congressional authorization (see Google).
Trump also used the meeting to press senators on the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require voters to show proof of citizenship when they register. He suggested eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass the legislation, a move Republican leadership has resisted (see cbsnews.com). “The president closed by preaching unity,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn. “But he spent the prior hour talking about things which were not exactly unifying.”
In the last 30 days, 88 of 645 Trump posts on Truth Social addressed the topic of foreign policy, according to Zenger analysis.
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by NewsFindr on June 25, 2026 at 4:36 AM EST
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on June 25, 2026 at 4:36 AM EST