() President Donald Trump on Sunday floated the idea of a regime change in Iran, contradicting messaging from his top national security advisers.
“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent much of Sunday insisting U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites were aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic’s nuclear abilities not its leader.
“We don’t want to achieve regime change. We want to achieve the end of the Iranian nuclear program,” Vance told ABC News. “That’s what the president set us out to do.”
The mixed messages from the administration about the “Midnight Hammer” operation came as some members of Congress questioned the legality of the strikes on Iran, which were carried out without congressional approval.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced a resolution to block military action against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has called for Trump’s impeachment, writing on social media that the decision to bomb Iran was “a grave violation” of the Constitution. Reps. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., and Al Green, D-Texas, have also joined the call.
Trump will meet with his national security team for the first time since the strikes Monday afternoon.
