WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Republicans on Capitol Hill are walking a cautious election-year line on the as the future of the conflict seems increasingly uncertain and polls show most Americans think the war isn鈥檛 worth fighting.
The potential political peril has only grown in recent days, particularly for Republicans facing . But while some GOP lawmakers say they want more information from President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration on the endgame and the escalating cost, they continue to defend the president鈥檚 decision to engage and have voted repeatedly to cede congressional powers to the White House.
鈥淚s anyone out there in the real world happy with gas prices? No,鈥� said Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican who grilled military leaders for more detail at a . 鈥淏ut I think they understand why gas prices are as high as they are.鈥�
It鈥檚 still unclear, though, if more Republicans 鈥� many of whom have been privately questioning the conflict 鈥� will speak out publicly as the midterm elections approach. GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate are expected to face the next test of their loyalty this week as Democrats force new votes on whether Trump should seek congressional approval for military action against Iran.
As Congress considers whether to weigh in, the U.S. has carried out waves of airstrikes in recent days as the two countries clash over control of the . Gas prices and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators at the hearing Tuesday that the U.S. had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far. On Wednesday, Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base for the arrival and dignified transfer of the remains of four U.S. service members.
鈥淚 do think the combination of the hearings, plus the fact that we are in this new escalatory phase where Americans have been killed, and Americans are experiencing the rising costs 鈥� I think it鈥檚 important that people be held accountable,鈥� said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who is expected to lead the next war powers vote as soon as Thursday. 鈥淎nd this is a very unpopular war.鈥�
Polls find Americans disapprove of the war
Most Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling the situation with Iran, according to recent polling. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted in July found that few Americans think the war in Iran has been worth fighting, and most aren鈥檛 confident that the U.S. military action in Iran and negotiations to end the war will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Only about two-thirds of Republicans approve of Trump鈥檚 handling of the situation in Iran, according to the Washington Post/Ipsos poll. Most Republicans, about 6 in 10, think the war has been worth fighting and are confident that the military action and ensuing negotiations will prevent Iran from development nuclear weapons, but a sizable share 鈥� about one-third 鈥� are not convinced.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who is up for reelection this year, said that he tries to explain to voters that he has seen the intelligence and believes the war was necessary to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. But we need to 鈥渇inish the job,鈥� Rounds said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 challenging鈥� to explain it to people back home, Rounds said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 complicated, and a lot of the stuff we know, we can鈥檛 talk about, because it鈥檚 classified.鈥�
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another Republican up for reelection, questioned military leaders at Tuesday鈥檚 hearing on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
鈥淚t seems to me that there鈥檚 been a different plan almost daily with dealing with this problem,鈥� she told Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
War powers votes have shifted as conflict has dragged on
Opposing the war can have a political cost, as well. Collins was one of four Republicans to side with Democrats when the Senate on Iran for the first time in June. The vote greatly angered Trump, who attended a GOP Senate luncheon the next day and called the four Republicans 鈥渓osers.鈥�
One of the other Republicans to vote for the war powers resolution was Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who lost his Senate seat in a primary after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.
In the closed-door luncheon, that he needed to give more details to the public about the conflict. 鈥淭his was supposed to last four weeks, it鈥檚 lasted four months,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur original objectives have not been achieved.鈥�
Trump argued back, Cassidy later told reporters, and he told the president that he wouldn鈥檛 change his vote until he got a briefing. The White House later relented, giving Cassidy a one-on-one meeting, and the Louisiana Republican changed his vote in a before the Senate left for a two-week recess.
Cassidy wouldn鈥檛 say Wednesday whether recent developments would change his vote when the Senate takes up the next resolution to halt the war.
鈥淚鈥檓 not commenting on that,鈥� he said.
House to consider war powers resolution
The House is expected to consider a war powers resolution Thursday after also in June. It is unclear whether enough Republicans could again vote with Democrats to pass the resolution, led by Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has aggressively lobbied his members against the war powers measures. Echoing Trump, Johnson said this week that the U.S. has ensured that Iran doesn鈥檛 have a nuclear weapon that 鈥渨ould be a disaster for everybody.鈥�
Still, he said, there is a global understanding that 鈥渘ow we got to wrap it up.鈥�
Asked about the war on Wednesday before his Dover trip, Trump voiced continued confidence in his approach.
鈥淎mericans don鈥檛 want high gasoline prices but they aren鈥檛 against the war,鈥� he said.
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Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson DeVeaux contributed to this report.
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