Indiana's congressional delegation reacts to Iran strikes
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Indiana's congressional delegation is reacting to the joint U.S.-Israel strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Republicans largely supporting President Donald Trump.
Why it matters: Trump is publicly bracing the country for a sustained, costly military campaign, a sign America has entered an open-ended war with a rising human cost.
What they're saying: "President Trump's actions this morning were not about starting a war," Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) posted on X. "They were about preventing one. It was targeted, surgical, and strong. It made clear that if you attack or threaten Americans, there will be consequences."
- Republican Reps. Jim Baird and Rudy Yakym applauded Trump's "decisive" action.
- "President Trump is making the right move and I fully support him," wrote Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.).
Yes, but: The support wasn't unanimous.
- Trump's invasion of Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro exposed a rift with some in his base, who said Trump had campaigned on no new wars, and a prolonged skirmish in the Middle East could exacerbate those tensions ahead of a difficult midterm election for Republicans.
- "I don't support us being engaged in nation-building — it's up to the people of each nation, & we must have clear strategy," Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said on X.
The other side: Democratic Reps. André Carson and Frank Mrvan called for Congress to reconvene and vote on a war powers resolution.
- "President Trump continues to put our troops and civilians in danger," Carson said on X. "The Iranian people have shown extraordinary courage standing up for their rights over and over again. We need to meaningfully strengthen democracy without another open-ended war."