'Escalating feud' erupts between GOP hawks and MAGA isolationists
Fears that the Israel/Hamas War could escalate into a wider regional conflict increased when three U.S. troops were killed in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan near the Syrian border.
President Joe Biden gave a forceful response during a speech on Sunday, January 28, declaring, "We shall respond" and vowing to "hold all those responsible to account." And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised, "We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests."
Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the attack.
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Republicans have been responding as well, and those responses underscore the differences between the GOP's hawks and MAGA isolationists.
On X, formerly Twitter, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) posted, "Hit Iran now. Hit them hard." And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) tweeted, "Target Tehran."
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson slammed those tweets, attacking Graham and Cornyn as "f*****g lunatics."
In an article published on January 29, Politico reporter Anthony Adragna stresses that these responses illustrate "the escalating feud between the GOP's more traditional foreign policy hawks and its ascendant isolationist-leaning wing, even as both sides coalesce around Trump's bid to return to the White House."
"Many in (the isolationist-leaning) camp have fought for months against sending more cash to Ukraine in its war against Russia, with a foreign aid package still delayed as money has dried up," Adragna notes. "It's unclear how many of them will fight against further involvement in Iran…. Grassroots conservatives seem to have Carlson's side in the emerging dispute."
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Read Politico's full report at this link.
