Johnson faces midterm election pressure in the Republican caucus as voters express disgust with the war with Iran, which lasts longer than expected.
Pentagon says about 100 US military personnel were injured in July during Iran war
Nearly 100 U.S. military personnel were injured in the war with Iran in July, according to the Pentagon chief.
WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson, a prominent Republican ally of President Donald Trump, is calling for an end to the Iran war as fighting escalates in a conflict he says voters are becoming fed up with.
“We have to get this together,” Johnson (R-Louisiana) said at a July 21 press conference.
The unpopular war appears to be escalating despite continued efforts by the White House toward negotiations and a ceasefire, as the U.S. marks its 12th possible day of attacks on Iran and multiple allies in the Gulf report attacks from Iran.
The escalation could pose a political dilemma for Republicans, who aim to maintain fragile majorities in both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Only about a third of MAGA voters say a war with Iran is worth the economic cost, down from nearly half of MAGA voters in May, according to a POLITICO poll released Wednesday. Just a week ago, a Washington Post/Ipsos poll reported that more than two-thirds of Americans disapproved of the president’s handling of the conflict.
President Trump’s schedule for Wednesday includes attending the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in last weekend’s conflict. En route to an event at an air force base in Delaware, the president continued to call for military action, writing on Truth Social:
“From now on, every time the Islamic Republic of Iran shells a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether by missiles, rockets, drones, or other devices or weapons, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, including a bridge or power plant next to or located in the capital Tehran. Thank you for drawing attention to this issue! President Donald J. Trump.”
The House is scheduled to vote again this week on the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. involvement in the conflict before going on a month-long recess in August.
He told USA Today in late June that if fighting continued, Congressional approval for military action could require another 60 days.
(This article has been updated with new information. )
