Trump sees three new GOP defections in House vote to end Iran war

By Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — The House on Tuesday voted to approve a measure that would require President Donald Trump to end his war with Iran, offering a potent political rebuke of the administration’s handling of the war just weeks before the midterms.

This is now the third time that the House — led by Democrats, but with help from at least a few Republicans — has ordered Trump to withdraw troops from Iran. But Democrats argue this vote is their most important push yet, coming as one of the chamber’s last votes before the November elections.

Seven Republicans backed the measure, up from four GOP votes for the last two resolutions.

Three new Republicans voted with Democrats on Tuesday’s vote: Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, who both represent competitive seats in Iowa, and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is leaving Congress after this term.

The Republicans who had previously voted in favor are Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

“I will not support another open-ended war. We can defend Americans, pressure Iran, and pursue peace while ensuring Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibility,” Nunn said in a post on X after the vote.

Miller-Meeks said in a post on X, “I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump.”

“The Iranian regime and its nuclear ambitions have been defanged. The President needs to present a plan to Congress and the American people for how this ends so we can focus on bringing our soldiers home and lowering prices.”

In an earlier interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Nunn said he was prepared to take on the administration on issues impacting his constituents.

“Where we agree with the president, we’re going to fight with him. Where we disagree with the president on things like beef, on tariffs, on the current state of how operations are working in Iran, we’re going to call him out and have a conversation on that. That’s one of the reasons we went to the White House and talked to him directly on it,” he said on Tuesday.

Officially, House GOP leaders do not whip their members one way or another on these types of resolutions. But Trump himself has lashed out at Republicans who have voted against him on the issue —making clear that he sees it as something of a litmus test for his support.

One of Congress’ last attempts to rein in Trump’s military authorities in Iran ended on a dramatic note: Enough Senate Republicans initially voted to pass the measure, but then pressure from the White House ultimately forced a GOP senator to change his vote. It’s not yet clear if the Senate would have the votes to pass the measure again, but Democrats plan to try later this week.

Outside the Capitol, voters have been increasingly skeptical of the hostilities in Iran, with 67% of people saying that Trump’s decisions about military action in Iran have hurt the US, according to a summertime CNN poll. Fuel prices are again climbing, with diesel now topping $6 a gallon.

Democrats have spent much of 2026 forcing their GOP counterparts to go on record about the administration hostilities’ with Iran, which have effectively become the nation’s first one-party war.

Now, even Trump’s own party is refusing to support more funding to the war, with the Pentagon’s multi-billion dollar request now likely to languish until after the midterms.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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