Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has called President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran war “a recipe for utter disaster,” accusing him of repeating past mistakes with no clear strategy.
“Donald Trump’s rinse-and-repeat approach to the Iran War isn’t a strategy, it’s a recipe for utter disaster,” Schumer said in floor remarks. He pointed out that Trump gave yet another 60-day notice that the nation is “once again at war with Iran”, a cycle of escalation that Schumer says has produced nothing but more violence and instability.
The New York Democrat’s remarks come as the US launches a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets, Trump imposes a naval blockade and a 20 percent cargo fee on the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran retaliates by attacking US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The 60-day interim deal that was supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire has collapsed entirely.
Schumer’s criticism is especially pointed given that Trump ran for office promising to end “endless wars.” Instead, the president has expanded a conflict that now involves direct exchanges of fire between the US and Iran across the entire Persian Gulf region, with Gulf states caught in the middle.
The Senate Democratic leader has also been a vocal critic of Trump’s handling of the Minab school strike, the February 28 attack on a girls’ school that killed over 175 children and teachers. He has called for a “full, independent and transparent investigation,” accusing Trump of being dishonest about US responsibility.
On that front, Trump has cast doubt on whether the US was responsible, saying in June: “Somebody said it was our missile, maybe it wasn’t our missile, but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was.”
Schumer called Trump “a liar” and “clueless” over the president’s shifting rationales for the conflict. He urged Trump to “listen to Congress and the American people and end the war in Iran instead of doubling down on the conflict.”
The gap between the two parties on the war could hardly be wider. Democrats are demanding accountability for civilian casualties and an exit strategy. Trump is escalating: more bombing, a blockade, and a demand that Gulf nations pay the US for “protection.” There appears to be no off-ramp in sight.