NJ Democratic governor candidates want to fight Trump and tackle affordability
New Jersey voters in both parties have begun to vote to select their nominees for governor in the June 10 primary election.
This spring, the USA TODAY Network New Jersey Editorial Board convened conversations with nearly all of the major candidates. We talked broadly about their campaigns, their agendas if nominated and elected and about the impact of the administration of President Donald Trump.
Here are thoughts and impressions about candidates in the Democratic field, presented alphabetically:
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, 54, has spent a decade leading the Garden State's largest city and has been credited for taking innovative approaches to solving Newark's financial challenges while also working to fuel the city's ongoing renaissance.
In framing his candidacy with the USA TODAY Network New Jersey Editorial Board, Baraka, just days after he was detained by federal Homeland Security agents outside Delaney Hall detention center, positioned himself as a leader who could bring new relevancy to his party. Baraka said he would re-center the New Jersey Democratic Party as the champion of working people — something he said his party had squandered in its more recent embrace of elites.
'We forgot how to fight,' Baraka said of his party.
Baraka talked at length about his capacity to challenge the Trump administration, particularly on immigration. (The trespassing charge he was held on has since been dropped.) He also said he would continue to champion diversity, equity and inclusion policies if he clinches his party's nomination and the governorship.
Baraka also believes his candidacy is informed by his experience as a mayor. He talked at length about the state's need to get its fiscal house in better order by seeking to raise revenues by increasing income taxes on the state's wealthy. Baraka also talked about the need to reconsider school funding formulas and said he would seek to consolidate small school districts.
The 47-year-old mayor of Jersey City, who has held that office since 2013, declared his candidacy for governor in 2023.
From the start, Fulop has framed his run as a maverick effort. He has eschewed support from establishment Democrats, including county organizations and has said he has been buoyed by the elimination of the county line ballot design, which had traditionally favored candidates favored by the Democratic machine. In turn, he has been supporting his own slates of candidates seeking seats in the New Jersey Assembly this fall.
In conversations with the USA TODAY Network Editorial Board this spring, Fulop made the case that his experience as a mayor will suit him well as the Garden State's chief executive. Fulop was direct about his focus on fixing NJ Transit's funding and infrastructure woes. He was also unequivocal about his willingness to take on the Trump administration.
'I'm looking forward to fixing NJ Transit once and for all and being bold on that,' Fulop said. 'I think that's there's a lot of things we can do in a Trump era to send a message to the country that New Jersey has a different set of priorities.'
Fulop, who says he has more than 15,000 volunteers supporting his campaign across New Jersey, seems eager to continue to reshape the New Jersey Democratic Party. That said, he also pledged continuity and said he would invite New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin to continue his service in a Fulop administration.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the Tenafly Democrat who has served in Congress since 2016, has made a name for himself as a moderate who works across the aisle to pursue progress on various legislative priorities. He also presents a moderate choice for Democratic voters — with a vision for a term as governor that focuses on lowering taxes.
Gottheimer, who has co-chaired the bipartisan Problem Solvers' Caucus, has been a champion of restoring the SALT deduction. He has also sounded the alarm about the growing affordability crisis in New Jersey and points to an ambitious plan to reduce taxes as the centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign platform. Gottheimer has said New Jersey voters he has spoken with on the campaign trail — often in diners, as he has noted — are anxious and concerned about costs. Rising utility costs and potential economic disruption caused by Trump policy are just the latest drivers of that anxiety, he said.
'How do we get taxes down? How do we get costs down? How do we get life more affordable?' Gottheimer asked in framing his agenda in a recent conversation with the USA TODAY Network Editorial Board.
Gottheimer says his tax plan deals with structural benefits and New Jersey's pension obligations. It would work to fuel economic growth in New Jersey, he said. Gottheimer is focused on growing New Jersey's business sector and adding jobs. Lower taxes, he said, will work to stem ongoing out-migration as New Jersey residents flee the Garden State. Gottheimer is also committed to creating a position in the gubernatorial administration that focuses on bringing federal dollars back to New Jersey.
Gottheimer, 49, has also positioned himself as a defender of New Jersey values as the Trump agenda unfolds, noting that he continues to hear from voters that the president's new term is only adding to their broad anxieties about the nation's direction and its economy.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democrat from Montclair who has represented the Morris County-centric 11th Congressional District since she was first elected to Congress in the blue wave of 2018, presents New Jersey Democratic voters with a centrist agenda focused on affordability and managing the state's affairs with minimal disruption from the Trump administration.
Sherrill has strongly advocated for the restoration of the SALT deduction, and has been a champion for reproductive, women's and LGBTQ rights. She has framed her campaign for governor around her commitment to affordability, and to protecting New Jersey values in the face of an ambitious Trump administration agenda that could level drastic cuts to federal programs — like Medicaid — in the Garden State.
In conversations with the USA TODAY Network New Jersey editorial board this spring, Sherrill talked at length about the urgent need to solve a vexing housing crisis that is fueled by soaring prices and rents. She also said she would work to stimulate repurposing of existing infrastructure — like vacant office buildings — for reuse as housing. And she pledged to break apart what she characterized as a complex and sometimes thorny regulatory environment that she said stymies housing development in New Jersey. Sherrill also spoke at some length about the Garden State's looming energy crisis — utility rates are set to increase next month — and did not rule out expanding the state's nuclear energy generation capacity.
Sherrill, 52, also pledged to assemble like-minded Democratic governors who oppose parts of the Trump agenda and said she would work to build coalitions of resistance and would continue to push back on administrative actions through ongoing lawsuits.
When asked what she was hearing from voters on the campaign trail, Sherrill focused specifically on the Trump agenda and affordability.
'I'm hearing largely two things,' Sherrill said. 'One is 'What's coming from Washington is like nothing I've ever seen. I'm very scared,' and two is. 'I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to afford to live here.''
Sean Spiller, 49, a former mayor of Montclair who is president of the New Jersey Education Association, has framed his candidacy around delivering greater affordability to New Jersey by addressing housing costs, health care access, education access and energy affordability.
Putting his focus on affordability into specific terms, Spiller has said he would pursue a reconfiguration of New Jersey's state income tax brackets with a focus on extracting more revenue from the Garden State's wealthiest residents.
In addition, Spiller, the son of immigrants, told the USA TODAY New Jersey Editorial Board that he would actively resist aspects of the Trump agenda, including the push to deport undocumented migrants.
'People are fearful in many ways,' Spiller said, citing the uncertainties presented by the Trump agenda. 'People want to know, 'Hey, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to help?''
Spiller, a teacher, has the full backing of the powerful NJEA, which has pumped millions into his campaign. That support may have strings attached should Spiller run a successful campaign. He has advocated for 'pension justice' and has said he would reconfigure pension benefits for New Jersey's public-school educators.
Steve Sweeney, the former Senate President who presided over the upper chamber in Trenton on the watches of former Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Phil Murphy, is attempting to stage a comeback in his run for governor. Sweeney, who lost reelection in 2021 at the hands of former state Sen. Ed Durr, has framed his candidacy for governor around his considerable experience in Trenton.
A former ironworker who served in the state Senate for 20 years with support from the powerful South Jersey Democratic Party machine, Sweeney, 65, makes the case that his years of experience helping to lead the Legislature sets him apart.
'I know where the lights in the bathroom are,' he quipped to the USA TODAY Network New Jersey editorial board.
Among Sweeney's top priorities — beyond addressing affordability and defending New Jersey from aspects of the Trump agenda — would be an effort to reconsider the state budget process in Trenton, which he said needs to be considered from a multi-year perspective. Such an effort would help state departments plan more efficiently and, in turn, save taxpayers money, Sweeney argued.
Further, Sweeney believes property taxes can be better stabilized if smaller New Jersey school districts were incentivized to merge.
Sweeney, who said he supports due process for all, nonetheless said he would not support New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, which has limited interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal entities like ICE, since 2018.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ governor race: Democratic governor candidates want to fight Trump
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- USA Today
Live updates: Iran calls US airstrikes on nuclear sites 'outrageous,' says it 'reserves all options'
America's move comes after Iran and Israel have been engaged in aerial strikes and Trump had been pondering US involvement for the past week. The United States joined Israel's war with Iran after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on three nuclear targets, winning praise and condemnation from members of Congress and new defiance from Tehran. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said in a live address after 10 p.m. ET on June 21, threatening further U.S. strikes if Iran failed to accept a diplomatic solution. Bombs and missiles launched from U.S. warplanes hit nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. No U.S. personnel were injured in the operation, which struck Iran well after midnight on June 22 local time. With 40,000 troops in the Persian Gulf region, the United States faces potential Iranian reprisals in the days ahead. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, warned that the country "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," saying America's strike was "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said on social media. Trump's move was assailed by some conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats in Congress as illegal, while others praised the move after more than a week of Israeli airstrikes on Iran and retaliatory missile fire wreaking havoc in Israel. 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack Israel says Iran launched another round of missiles Multiple explosions were heard in central Israel, including over Tel Aviv, in the early hours of June 22. Israel's military said sirens that sounded across the region were "due to another Iranian missile launch." USA TODAY could not immediately confirm any information on potential fatalities or injuries in the strikes. Iran says it 'reserves all options' to defend itself Iran reserves all options to defend itself after U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, Araqchi shared on X, saying the attacks were "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said. What's the risk of nuclear fallout from the Iran attacks? The U.S. attacks against three of Iran's nuclear facilities, following Israeli attacks over the previous week, prompted questions about the potential risks of radiological or chemical releases. Both "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" and the International Atomic Energy Agency have previously stated the offsite risks are low from attacks at Fordow and Natanz. But in a June 20 post, François Diaz-Maurin, an associate editor for nuclear affairs at the atomic bulletin, termed the offsite risk at Isfahan 'moderate,' because it's one of the 'most important sites for Iran's nuclear program.' The International Atomic Energy Agency began posting updates on the new attacks on June 21. The nuclear complex in Isfahan, a key site of the Iranian nuclear program, has repeatedly been attacked and extensively damaged before June 21, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, agency director. 'Based on our analysis of the nuclear material present, we don't see any risk of off-site contamination," Grossi said. -Dinah Pulver Attack used bunker-buster bombs The Pentagon's attack on Iran's nuclear facility employed its most powerful bunker-buster bomb as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from submarines, according to a U.S. official. Pentagon planners coordinated the attack with Israel to enter Iran's airspace, said the official who had been briefed on the mission but was not authorized to speak publicly. B-2 bombers dropped GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, the first time they have been used in combat. The stealth bombers were accompanied by other aircraft, the official said, though it was unclear the type of warplane. The Pentagon's most sophisticated fighter, the F-22, was a likely candidate. President Donald Trump declared the attack a success, saying Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been completely 'obliterated.' The official, however, said battle-damage assessments had not reached a firm conclusion. −Tom Vanden Brook AOC condemns Trump's attacks, calling it a constitutional violation Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is the latest lawmaker to take to social media in the hours after President Donald Trump's strikes on Iran to weigh in on the move, calling it 'grounds for impeachment.' 'The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,' she said in the post on X, formerly Twitter, published shortly after Trump's White House address. Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, however, presidents have engaged in foreign conflicts in recent decades under the executive authority to authorize defensive strikes 'He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations,' Ocasio-Cortez said. 'It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.' −Kathryn Palmer Will Iran counterattack? Tehran could respond to Trump's strikes by launching counterattacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East, current and former U.S. officials say. American bases in Gulf countries and Iraq and Syria could become targets, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told USA TODAY before Trump attacked Iran. Iran could also target regional energy facilities and block oil and gas shipments from crossing the Strait of Hormuz, said Shapiro, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration. Roughly 40,000 American troops are stationed in the region. Trump warned in a Truth Social post of 'far greater' force against Iran if it pursues retaliation. −Francesca Chambers Muslim civil rights group condemns U.S. strikes on Iran The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, blasted President Trump's attack as an 'illegal and unjustified act of war' that favors the wishes of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the American people and threatens to drag the United States into a wider conflict. 'We condemn President Trump's illegal and unjustified act of war against Iran,' CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. 'This attack, carried out under pressure from the out-of-control Israeli government, took place despite the longstanding conclusion by our nation's intelligence community that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons.' 'Just as President Bush started a disastrous war in Iraq pushed by war hawks, neoconservatives, and Israeli leaders like Netanyahu, President Trump has attacked Iran based on the same type of false information put forward by those who consistently seek to drag our nation into unnecessary and catastrophic wars,' Awad said. -Josh Meyer Pete Hegseth to hold a press conference from the Pentagon Hours after the U.S. military launched strikes against three nuclear sites in Iran, President Trump addressed the nation from the White House calling the operation a 'spectacular military success.' He said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference at 8 am on July 22 at the Pentagon. Trump said the mission's objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the 'world's number one state sponsor of terror.' 'If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill,' said Trump. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.' -Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Iranian retaliation could happen anywhere, ex-official says Terror alert levels should be elevated in the near term, even in major cities outside the Middle East and anywhere Iran may have sleeper cells, said Andrew Borene, a former senior official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center. 'What happens next is largely going to be driven by Tehran's next moves. Their shadow wars have never been confined to missiles, drones, and cyber attacks,' said Borene, who is now executive director for Global Security at private intelligence firm Flashpoint. Borene said in an analysis that there is 'a real risk of further spillover if Iran resorts to its historical use of asymmetric means through proxy terrorism.' Offensive cyber operations on critical infrastructure, or terrorist attacks by Iranian proxies, also could rapidly derail hope for de-escalation and diplomacy in the near term, Borene said. -Josh Meyer Peace or tragedy, Trump tells Iran 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. He noted that there are many other targets in Iran. 'If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes,' he said. -Sarah Wire Trump says 'future attacks' could be worse 'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,' Trump said in his address to the nation. 'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.' He then described tactics of the regime. 'For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel,'' he said. 'They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty.' The president appeared to be referring to attacks launched by Iran-backed militants in the years after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. -Erin Mansfield Netanyahu congratulates Trump on Iran bombing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Trump for bombing three Iran nuclear sites, saying the decision could lead the Middle East toward a future of 'prosperity and peace.' 'America has been truly unsurpassed,' Netanyahu said in a video statement. 'It has done what no other country on earth could do. History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons.' -Erin Mansfield What is Fordow? Fordow is an Iranian underground uranium enrichment facility located about 80 to 90 meters deep inside a mountain, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. More: US bombs Iran: What to know about possible weapon, the 'bunker buster' It is located 20 miles north of the Iranian city of Qom. Fordow was one of three nuclear sites, including Natanz and Isfahan, that were struck by US military operations on July 21 to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump wrote on Truth Social. -Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Bomb-carrying B-2 stealth fleet launched from Missouri base B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in the early morning hours of June 21. The warplanes are known not only for their stealth technology, but also for their ability to fly long-range and carry the big 'bunker buster' bombs used in the June 21 mission. With design and materials that limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar, the B-2 is thought to be the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster." The entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers is based at Whiteman, southeast of Kansas City, with the 509th Bomb Wing, part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. Fox News reported six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Iran's Fordow nuclear site. -Dinah Pulver Democrats in Congress erupt at Trump Democratic members of Congress expressed outrage over the strikes, which they said they learned about from social media. 'According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop,' said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, in a post on X. Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman said Trump's handling of the situation was 'disgraceful." He asserted in a post that the U.S. was now at war with Iran. 'And so the United States goes to war with Iran without so much as a by your leave to the American people,' he said. 'No statement, other than on social media; no notice to Congress; no serious deliberation.' He added: 'This is the stuff of autocrats. Disgraceful.' War is something only Congress can formally declare. Lawmakers have also passed resolutions that authorized the use of military force like when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Trump has not said whether he plans to continue the bombing campaign, which he described as a "military operation" in a post on the attack. At least one Democrat came to Trump's defense, however: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world," Fetterman said. Democratic Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that was critical of Trump that Congress should "fully and immediately" be briefed in a classified setting. – Francesca Chambers Can the president bomb a country without Congress? The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief of the military, which means he carries out wars that Congress approves. However, presidents of both political parties have perennially used the U.S. military to bomb or invade countries without formal approval from Congress. There have even been allegations that the Korean War and the Vietnam War were illegal. Congress attempted to limit presidents from using this type of power when it passed the 1973 War Powers Act. Trump was most recently criticized for potentially violating the War Powers Act when he bombed the Houthis in Yemen, notoriously discussed on the SignalGate chat that embarrassed top officials in his administration. -Erin Mansfield B-2 bombers conducted strikes on Iranian targets B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, according to a senior Defense Department official. There were no casualties. Measures to protect the nearly 40,000 U.S. troops in the region have been incrementally increased over the last two weeks, said the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Army has been at third of four levels of alert at most places in the region, the official said. -Tom Vanden Brook More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack Trump to address nation at 10 pm ET President Trump posted on Truth Social that he will be speaking to the nation at 10 p.m. ET on June 21. "I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," Trump wrote. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!" -Swapna Venugopal Republican lawmaker says Iran strike is 'not constitutional' Trump's decision came under immediate criticism from at least one Republican in Congress: Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. The lawmaker shared Trump's post on social media with the message, 'This is not Constitutional.' Massie had previously introduced a bill to prevent Trump from going to war with Iran without congressional authorization, which drew cosponsors that included progressive Democrats such as Rep. Ro Khanna of California. The GOP lawmaker was one of two members of Trump's political party who voted against his tax bill in the House of Representatives last month. Trump called him a 'grandstander' ahead of the vote and said he should be 'voted out of office.' Far-right GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of Trump's, publicly pushed for the U.S. to stay out of the war, a half hour before Trump announced the attack. 'Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war,' she said in a post on X. Greene has been one of the most outspoken opponent's within MAGA of American military involvement in the conflict that exploded on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites. 'There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first,' she said on June 21. 'Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer.' –Francesca Chambers State Department evacuations from Israel Earlier in the day, the State Department began evacuating American citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank, U.S Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on social media. 'The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel,' Huckabee wrote in a post on X on June 21 asking people seeking government assistance to fill out a form. -Swapna Venugopal How the war started The strikes followed days of Israeli bomb and drone strikes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at disrupting Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon, to which Iran responded by launching missiles at Israeli civilian targets. Netanyahu had been pressing President Donald Trump to enter the war, knowing the Pentagon possesses the ability to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capability. In his first term, Trump pulled out of the Iran deal brokered by President Barack Obama in 2015, saying it did not do enough to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. As the war between Iran and Israel has spiraled in recent days, he has repeated that Iran "cannot" get a nuclear weapon. Iran has threatened that the U.S. would suffer "irreparable damage" if it becomes directly involved in the conflict. The U.S. "should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on June 18. Only US warheads could penetrate Iranian nuclear site The U.S. Air Force has the unique capability to destroy deeply buried, fortified structures like those that house Iran's nuclear facilities. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, has a 'high-performance steel alloy' warhead case that allows the weapon to stay intact as it burrows deep into the ground, according to Pentagon documents. In 2012, the Air Force conducted five tests of the weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Data and visual inspections showed that each bombing run 'effectively prosecuted the targets.' More: Israel wants to demolish Iran's nuclear facilities. Does it need US military help? There's only one warplane in the Air Force that can carry the bomb. Each B-2 Spirit stealth bomber based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri can hold two of the penetrators. Israel had sought the Pentagon to drop the bombs because their penetrating weapons cannot reach the depth necessary to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. -Tom Vanden Brook
Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
Top Democrats left in dark on Iran strike plans
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill say they weren't briefed in advance of the U.S. attack on Iran on Saturday, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Axios. Why it matters: Democrats left Capitol Hill for the Juneteenth holiday recess without answers to what they said were basic questions about a potential strike against Iran. "Cost, duration, risk to our troops, strategy — the basics before we make a decision of this consequence," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Axios last week. Zoom in: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence panels, weren't briefed before the attack, sources familiar told Axios on Saturday. Their Republican counterparts were given advance notice. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was given what was described by a source as a perfunctory notice shortly before President Trump's announcement on Saturday night. Himes' committee staff received official notification about the strike from the Pentagon only after Trump made the announcement on social media, another source familiar with the events told Axios. Between the lines: Senators are scheduled to receive a classified briefing on the situation on Tuesday.
Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
AOC floats Trump impeachment over Iran strikes
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Saturday floated the prospect of impeaching President Trump for striking Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. Why it matters: It's a shocking declaration by one of House Democrats' most high-profile progressives at a time when most in the party are instinctively rejecting the mere mention of impeachment. Considerable intra-party scorn has been heaped on Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) and Al Green (D-Texas) for floating votes on impeaching Trump. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Driving the news: " The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," Ocasio-Cortez posted on X. "He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations," she wrote. "It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." "More soon," Ocasio-Cortez's reelection campaign wrote in a fundraising email obtained by Axios. Zoom out: The call for impeachment puts Ocasio-Cortez on the far end of Democrats' spectrum of responses, but it reflects the broad anger with which the party has reacted to Trump's unilateral actions.
