Senate Republicans faced a dramatic Wednesday as President Donald Trump personally confronted them over their opposition to his war in Iran, leading to a late-night vote that rejected a war powers resolution — just one day after a nearly identical measure had passed.
Earlier in the day, Trump met face-to-face with Republican senators and berated them for allowing Tuesday’s vote, which sought to block his military actions in Iran. The confrontation deepened an internal party conflict that has pulled GOP focus away from election-year economic issues and brought much of the Senate’s work to a standstill.
Among those who had a particularly tense exchange with the president was Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had sided with Democrats on the original measure. However, hours after the heated meeting, Cassidy was invited to the White House for a private briefing on the Iran conflict, conducted by Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff. Following that meeting, Cassidy returned to the Capitol and voted against the second, nearly identical war powers resolution.
On a separate front, congressional Democrats in both the House and Senate are demanding answers about the ongoing troubles surrounding the $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The White House has repeatedly blamed unidentified vandals — without providing evidence — for issues including peeling paint. President Trump stated that six people have been arrested, though he offered no additional details. A local wildlife nonprofit also performed necropsies on dead ducks discovered near the Reflecting Pool, and Trump has suggested the pool may need to be drained again for further repairs.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, raised concerns about no-bid contracts tied to the Reflecting Pool project, alleging they were awarded to vendors with prior connections to Trump.
