(AFP) – US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire announcement has divided opinion among US lawmakers, with some hailing it as a positive step and others challenging the Republican president’s fitness to lead. Trump’s earlier threat to wipe out Iranian civilization prompted some critics to call on his cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment, which provides for a transfer of power if a president is unable to govern, particularly in the event of illness.
Here are some reactions:
– **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** – Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump’s ceasefire announcement “changes nothing.” “The President has threatened a genocide against the Iranian people, and is continuing to leverage that threat,” she wrote on X. Trump’s actions “have clearly driven our country past the threshold for impeachment or invocation of the 25th amendment,” she added. “Whether by his Cabinet or Congress, the President must be removed from office. We are playing with the brink.”
– **Lindsey Graham** – Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and foreign policy hawk, said congressional oversight is needed to “kick the tires.” “At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation,” Graham wrote on X. “That’s why a congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward.”
– **Chuck Schumer** – Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer earlier called Trump “an extremely sick person” in response to the Republican president’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” “I’m glad Trump backed off and is desperately searching for any sort of exit ramp from his ridiculous bluster,” the Democrat posted on X after the ceasefire was announced.
– **Kevin Kramer** – Kevin Kramer, a Republican senator from North Dakota, wrote that he was grateful for Trump’s “unwavering dedication to defending our country and holding our adversaries accountable.” “Under his Peace Through Strength leadership, (Trump) is showing the world that the U.S. is the strongest nation, and we have the strongest military on Earth,” he wrote on X.
– **Yassamin Ansari** – House Representative Yassamin Ansari from Arizona wrote that she was “momentarily relieved” by the ceasefire but maintained that Trump’s statements “confirm that he is mentally unstable, unhinged, and unfit for office or any position of authority.” “Whether through impeachment or by invoking the 25th Amendment, it is far past time Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are removed from office,” the Democrat wrote on X.
– **Zach Nunn** – Republican congressman Zach Nunn wrote on X that he was “heartened by the ceasefire.” “A President must have the authority to act decisively in defense of the nation, consistent with the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. This operation met that standard to stop Iran. This was achieved with overwhelming force,” wrote the congressman from Iowa. “Now the mission shifts to securing a lasting agreement that ensures Iran can never threaten the world with a nuclear weapon again.”
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