Sen. John Fetterman, D Pa., broke sharply with many in his party Saturday and offered full-throated support for President Donald Trump following U.S. strikes on Iranian targets. “President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” Fetterman wrote on X. “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”
In a separate post reacting to an Axios headline about Democrats demanding a war powers vote after the strikes, Fetterman distanced himself from his party’s pushback.
“Committed Democrat here. I’m a hard no. My vote is Operation Epic Fury,” he wrote.
Appearing later on Fox & Friends Weekend, Fetterman doubled down.
“You can just put out tweets and statements to support peace,” he said. “But to actually create real peace you have to do these kinds of actions just like what happened. Just like last year too when they destroyed their nuclear facilities. Sometimes peace is possible after these kinds of steps and that’s why I support those things.”
He described Trump as “absolutely correct” in authorizing the operation.
The Pennsylvania senator also rejected criticism from Rep. Thomas Massie, R Ky., who posted on X, “Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” noting the president had not formally sought congressional approval despite a briefing with the Gang of Eight earlier in the week.
“That is bizarre,” Fetterman said. “I would like to remind my colleague over in the House that Iran massacred 30,000 of their own people right now.”
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“This war is not about the Iranian people it’s about this poisonous regime,” he added. “That’s why I am proud to stand with our military. I am proud to stand with Israel too. I might be a Democrat but in this specific case the president’s absolutely correct to do these kinds of actions.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R S.C., praised Trump in a series of early morning posts.
“As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare,” Graham wrote. “Well done, Mr. President.”
“God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous,” he added. “I seek God’s protection for all under President Trump’s command, as well as our allies in Israel.”
Graham called the mission “necessary and long justified.”
“The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us,” he wrote in a follow up post. “The likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel getting back on track is exceedingly high.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker also commended the president’s decision.
“This is a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests,” Wicker said in a statement. “The president has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities.”
“These are the hardest decisions that face any American commander in chief,” he added.
A U.S. official told Fox News the operation targeted military and ballistic missile sites posing an “imminent threat.” The U.S. military was not targeting Iran’s political leadership, the official said, though Israeli forces were pursuing separate objectives.
Strikes reportedly hit the compound home of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.
In a video message, Trump urged Iranians to stay out of harm’s way. “When we are finished, take over your government,” he said. “It will be yours to take.”
