The administration’s defense of the Soleimani killing outraged the Utah Republican, even as most in the party backed the president.
Most Republican senators on Wednesday left an Iran briefing from top Trump administration officials satisfied. Not Mike Lee.
“The worst briefing I’ve had in my nine years” in the Senate, said the Utah Republican.
Lee fumed that the officials warned against even debating legislation to restrict President Donald Trump’s authority to strike Iran — blasting their comments as “un-American” and “unconstitutional,” not to mention way too short.
“They had to leave after 75 minutes while they’re in the process of telling us that we need to be good little boys and girls and run along and not debate this in public,” Lee said of the briefers, which included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and CIA Director Gina Haspel. “I find that absolutely insane.”
The briefing, which centered on Trump’s decision to kill top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, convinced both Lee and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to back a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) forcing the president to stop military action against Iran if not authorized by Congress unless presented with an imminent threat. Democrats need to win over two more Republicans for the resolution to pass and Kaine could bring it to the floor as soon as next week.
“I walked into the briefing undecided, I walked out decided, specifically because of what happened in that briefing,” Lee said.
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Most Republican senators on Wednesday left an Iran briefing from top Trump administration officials satisfied.
Not Mike Leehttps://t.co/SxvhMOpl4U
— POLITICO (@politico) January 8, 2020.@SenMikeLee
: "It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government…to come in and tell us that we can't debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran. It's un-American. It's unconstitutional and it's wrong." pic.twitter.com/fVSE6b3EM0— CSPAN (@cspan) January 8, 2020
weird that a white house that expects, and almost always receives, unquestioning loyalty from congressional republicans would expect it here too https://t.co/wRoGjLmniz
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) January 8, 2020
I hate meetings and briefings, but I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall during this one. It must have been *astonishingly* bad to piss off this many MCs in both parties. https://t.co/TS1Hqr8Noz
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 9, 2020
According to @timkaine, when an objection was raised that the Senate wasn't consulted, the briefer said "Well, we're consulting you now," six days after the strike. My old boss John Heinz would have blown his stack if someone came over from the WH or DoD and said that. https://t.co/NNMGGoGLK6
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 9, 2020
Yesterday, Sen. Mike Lee had this 👇 forceful criticism for a classified briefing on Trump's decision to kill a top Iranian military commander.
Today, Vice President Mike Pence sprinted across morning television news programs to defend the administration. https://t.co/3eWUos9pGv pic.twitter.com/1mXDwJ9plN
— POLITICO (@politico) January 9, 2020
The Revolution always eats its own children https://t.co/REeElKgftZ
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 9, 2020
Question: "Do you believe that Trump abused his power in the strike that killed General Soleimani?"
Rep. Justin Amash: "Based on the information I have from the classified briefing I attended, I do think so." pic.twitter.com/BKVT6T8hZp
— The Hill (@thehill) January 10, 2020
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