‘Changes nothing’: US lawmakers divided after Trump announces Iran ceasefire

After US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, US politicians have reacted dividedly. While some lawmakers backed the peace proposal, others cautioned against escalation and a lack of oversight. The ceasefire came just about 90 minutes before Trump’s deadline ended at 8 pm ET. The US had threatened to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization” if Tehran failed to open the Strait of Hormuz. The warning drew massive backlash across the world.

After Trump’s expletive-laden threats, House Democrats have called for his removal. Former MAGA allies turned critics, including former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and the far-right media personality Candace Owens, have also slammed Trump’s threats as “evil” and “madness”.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, “I’m glad Trump backed off and is desperately searching for any sort of exit ramp from his ridiculous bluster.” He added that the US president is an “extremely sick person”, accusing him of waging a “wanton war of choice”.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, congresswoman from New York, said that the two-week ceasefire “changes nothing”.

“The President has threatened a genocide against the Iranian people, and is continuing to leverage that threat,” she said on social media, calling for his removal from office. “We cannot risk the world nor the wellbeing of our nation any longer.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Hakeem Jeffries called Trump’s behaviour “unhinged, unpresidential and unconscionable” in an interview with CNN. “The American people strongly oppose this reckless war of choice,” he said. “He’s plunged America into this war without any plan, any objective and any exit strategy.”

Meanwhile, Republicans hailed Trump’s acceptance of the short-term ceasefire. Senator Rick Scott of Florida called the move “excellent news”. He added, “This is a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable and what happens when you have a leader who puts peace through strength over chaos and weak appeasement policies.”

Senator Lindsey Graham said that he shared the hope that “we can end the reign of terror of the Iranian regime through diplomacy”. He added, “We must remember that the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iran after the start of the war, destroying freedom of navigation. Going forward, it is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world.”
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