President Donald Trump hailed a late-night Senate vote Wednesday after Republican lawmakers reversed course on an effort to limit his authority over the conflict with Iran, delivering a victory for the White House after a brief but highly publicized intraparty dispute.
Shortly after midnight, Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the outcome, pointing to the dramatic turnaround from the previous day’s vote.
“Wow! The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed. Thank you to Leader John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and all. This vote puts Iran on notice! President DJT,” Trump wrote.
The Senate rejected the war powers resolution shortly before lawmakers departed Washington for a two-week recess. The measure had been nearly identical to one approved just one day earlier, when four Republican senators joined Democrats in voting to curb the president’s authority over military operations involving Iran.
The latest vote marked a significant reversal after an intensive effort by the White House to rally Republican support.
According to reports, the administration mounted an aggressive pressure campaign that included a closed-door meeting between Trump and Senate Republicans on Wednesday. During the private gathering, the president reportedly confronted lawmakers over Tuesday’s vote, which had represented a rare instance of Republicans publicly breaking with him on foreign policy.
Two Republican senators who had supported the earlier resolution shifted their positions during Wednesday night’s vote.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who previously voted in favor of limiting the president’s war powers, voted against advancing the measure. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., changed his position by voting “present” rather than supporting the resolution.
Meanwhile, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, again voted in favor of the measure. They were joined by all but one Democrat. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., again voted against the resolution.
The measure ultimately failed by a vote of 47-50-1.
The Senate action followed a reportedly tense lunch meeting on Capitol Hill earlier in the day, where Trump met privately with Republican senators to discuss the issue.
During that meeting, Trump reportedly engaged in an extended exchange with Cassidy over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
According to reports, Cassidy challenged the president directly, telling him that the administration had not adequately informed the American people about the conflict. Cassidy also argued that what had initially been expected to last only a matter of weeks had stretched into several months without achieving its original objectives.
After the meeting, Cassidy said a private White House briefing with Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff addressed the concerns he had raised regarding the conflict.
Paul also explained his decision to change his vote. While declining to support the resolution outright, he said his “present” vote was intended “to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace.”
Earlier in the debate, Trump had sharply criticized the four Republican senators who initially backed the effort to restrict his authority, referring to them as “losers.”
The successful defeat of the resolution represented a political victory for the White House after a day of intense lobbying and internal discussions within the Senate Republican conference. The vote also underscored the administration’s determination to maintain flexibility as it continues handling the conflict with Iran while preserving the president’s authority over military decisions.
[READ MORE: Trump Clashes With Republican Senators]
