Posts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — What was supposed to be a routine Republican strategy meeting on election security reportedly descended into a spirited reenactment of every family Thanksgiving since 2016, as President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans traded shouts over the ongoing war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Sources say lawmakers entered the room expecting a discussion about voter ID requirements and citizenship verification. Instead, they found themselves front-row for what one attendee described as a "7 out of 10" verbal cage match complete with finger-pointing, raised voices, and at least one senator channeling his inner Irish pub debater. At least nobody flipped 'the bird.'
The meeting came amid lingering frustration over Trump's decision to torpedo the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill Republicans had hoped to market as proof that Congress occasionally remembers how to pass legislation.
Despite reports of the chaos, Trump emerged from the closed-door meeting sounding like a man who had just finished a pleasant church picnic.
"I think we had a really great meeting, and we're very proud of the party," he said. "We like our leader. We like everybody, really, in the room. I don't like a few people, but that's okay. I think you know who they are."
The festivities reportedly escalated when Trump questioned why Republicans had supported a War Powers Act resolution limiting his authority in Iran.
"He asked, ‘why would anybody vote for the War Powers Act?’" Sen. Bill Cassidy recalled afterward. "As he continued, I said, ‘is that a rhetorical question, or would you like to really know?’ He said, ‘I'd like to know.’"
Witnesses say Cassidy then committed the cardinal sin of Washington by answering a politician's question directly.
"I stood and said, ‘you have not told the American people what's going on. It was supposed to last four weeks, it's lasted four months,’" Cassidy [aka Hopalong] said. "‘Our original objectives have not been achieved, and I want to know what's going on.’"
At that point, the meeting reportedly transformed into a cross between a Senate hearing and two dads arguing over whose grill technique ruined the burgers.
Cassidy later attributed his enthusiasm to "the Irish in me," while colleagues eventually encouraged him to sit down before CSPAN cameras somehow materialized through the walls.
"I guess my point is, though, that the American people need to know more than we are being told," Cassidy said. "The Senate needs to know, and it does not appear, although I don't know for sure, that the course of this is going the way that we were told."
Lawmakers remain frustrated that they still have not received a full explanation of the administration's recent agreement with Iran, leading many senators to experience the unfamiliar sensation of wanting to know what their government is doing before voting on it.
One source familiar with the meeting said Trump became especially animated because the war powers vote complicated negotiations with Tehran. According to the source, the president began naming Republicans who sided with Democrats, including Sen. Dave McCormick, who had the unique advantage of not being present for the vote because he was standing next to Trump at another event.
The source described the confrontation as a "7 out of 10."
"You know, [like] two boys on recess that are yelling at each other over a foul on a basketball court," they said.
Republicans hoping the meeting might produce a strategy for passing the SAVE America Act were reportedly disappointed to discover that Congress had once again found a way to spend hours talking without resolving anything.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune later explained that Trump emphasized the importance of the legislation but did not spend much time discussing how to overcome the minor obstacle of not having enough votes.
"It was more the president saying, ‘If we don't do this, we're gonna get ourselves in real trouble going down the road,’" Sen. Jim Justice said.
At press time, congressional aides confirmed that lawmakers had left the meeting with exactly the same number of votes they entered with, but with significantly higher blood pressure readings.
Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.
No comments:
Post a Comment