Emotional outbursts among friends or allies, though unseemly, often have the thunderstorm-like effect of clearing the air.
This cleansing of the atmosphere seems to have occurred Wednesday following an angry exchange between President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana at a Republican luncheon on Capitol Hill, during which Trump blasted Cassidy and three other GOP senators for voting with Democrats on a resolution designed to curb the president’s war powers concerning Iran.
Trump celebrated the healing of the breach late Wednesday on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Wow!” the president wrote. “The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed. Thank you to Leader John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and all. This vote puts Iran on notice!”
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗝. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 – 𝟭𝟭:𝟭𝟱 𝗣𝗠 𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝟬𝟲.𝟮𝟰.𝟮𝟲
🚨President Trump celebrates a key Senate vote flip on Iran, shifting from 50-48 against to 50-47 in favor after Senators Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed their positions.… pic.twitter.com/m8K57qfdTF— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 25, 2026
The Iran war powers resolution, authored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, would have instructed the president to either seek express congressional authorization for the war against Iran or else “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities” against that nation, according to Just the News.
Do Democrats care whether their attacks on Trump make peace in the Middle East less likely?
At the luncheon, Trump reportedly wondered aloud “why would anybody vote for the war powers.”
“I stood and said, ‘Is that a rhetorical question, or would you like to really know?’” Cassidy replied.
From there, the exchange reportedly degenerated into a Trump-Cassidy shouting match.
According to Just the News, the brouhaha had no effect on the votes of Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Those two perennial thorns in Trump’s side voted with the Democrats exactly as they had on Tuesday.
Paul and Cassidy, however, withdrew their support for the resolution. And it appears that they did so for principled reasons.
“Tonight I will vote present on the War Powers resolution,” Paul wrote late Wednesday on the social media platform X. “My opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times. But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position, I will do so. My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace.”
Tonight I will vote present on the War Powers resolution.
My opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times.
But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 25, 2026
Then, on Thursday morning, Paul elaborated.
“I support President Trump’s push for diplomacy with Iran,” the senator wrote. “Endless war is not a strategy. Lasting peace requires negotiation, tradeoffs, and the courage to choose diplomacy over regime change.”
I support President Trump’s push for diplomacy with Iran. Endless war is not a strategy. Lasting peace requires negotiation, tradeoffs, and the courage to choose diplomacy over regime change.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 25, 2026
Cassidy, meanwhile, effectively credited Vice President J.D. Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for helping to change his vote.
“I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran,” Cassidy wrote late Wednesday on X. “I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns.”
I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 25, 2026
In short, two of the four recalcitrant GOP senators had changes of heart for what seems like the right reason — namely, the Vance-led peace talks with Iran have gone well. The president has the end of the war in sight.
Regardless, therefore, of what one thinks about war and executive power — and every constitutional conservative agrees with Paul on that subject — the timing of Kaine’s resolution suggests that, as always, and above all else, the desire to hurt Trump motivated Democrats.
Thank goodness the luncheon incident and its aftermath persuaded Paul and Cassidy to give the president the space he needs.
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