分类： 未分类

Savannah Guthrie visits

Trump’s new tariff plan barrels back to court following multistate lawsuit

State AGs said the effort from Trump is merely an attempt to ‘sidestep’ the Supreme Court’s ruling.

By Breanne Deppisch
Fox News

Published March 5, 2026 6:20pm EST | Updated March 5, 2026 6:28pm EST

A group of two dozen state attorneys general sued President Donald Trump on Thursday in an effort to block his new 10% tariffs from taking force — a move that all but ensures Trump’s newly revived tariff regime will end up back before the federal courts for the second time in nearly as many years.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the Court of International Trade by attorneys general from 24 states, including New York, Oregon, California, and Arizona.

The state attorneys general argued in the lawsuit that Trump lacks the authority to impose the 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, describing the effort as merely an attempt to “sidestep” last month’s 6-3 Supreme Court ruling, which blocked Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, (IEEPA) to unilaterally stand up his 10% global tariff regime announced last April.

Trump responded to the ruling by immediately invoking Section 122 to keep the 10% tariffs in place in the near-term. He also said then that the administration is planning to increase the import duties from 10% to 15% for certain countries.

In the lawsuit, the state AGs said Trump “has made clear that he is going to impose worldwide tariffs by any means necessary,” and argued that the effort is “an exercise of completely unrestrained executive power.”

“As with his unlawful use of IEEPA, the President has once again exercised tariff authority that he does not have—involving a statute that does not authorize the tariffs he has imposed—to upend the constitutional order and bring chaos to the global economy,” they added.

Next steps in the case are unclear, though the new lawsuit is likely to be met with fierce opposition from the White House and Justice Department.

It comes as Trump has continued to embrace tariffs as the signature economic policy of his second White House term. Trump, who previously billed himself as the “Tariff Man,” has described the issue as “life or death” for the U.S. economy.

Last April, Trump declared a national trade emergency to invoke IEEPA, citing the law as a means to address trade imbalances, reduce deficits with key trading partners and boost domestic manufacturing and production.

Two federal courts — the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit — previously blocked Trump’s use of IEEPA to enact his tariffs, prompting the administration to kick the case to the Supreme Court last year for emergency relief. (The Manhattan-based Court of International Trade ruled last year that Trump, as commander-in-chief, does not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under the emergency law.)

Lower courts had pressed the Justice Department to explain why Trump invoked IEEPA when other, more narrowly tailored statutes enacted by Congress more specifically address tariffs, including laws that cap tariffs at certain levels or set timeframes subject to congressional review.

Section 122 tariffs can remain in place for up to 150 days without congressional approval, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed on the Senate floor last week that the Democratic caucus would not approve an extension of the broad import duties.

Legally, the administration could have its work cut out for it as well.

Some economists — as well as the state AGs — argue that there is a difference between a traditional balance of payment deficit and the trade deficit between the U.S. and other countries.

“Contrary to the Section 122 Proclamation, a trade deficit is not a balance of payments deficit,” the states argued in their lawsuit.

Justin Wolfers, an economist at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital in an interview last year that Trump’s focus on the trade “deficit” is in fact based on a common misconception.

“We have a dollar deficit – but we have a stuff surplus,” he said.

“What that means is we sell China a small amount of stuff, and they sell us a large amount of stuff,” Wolfers explained. For every dollar bill that goes to China, the U.S. gets something for it that Americans want to buy, like T-shirts.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.

xAI loses bid to halt California AI data disclosure law

March 5, 2026 9:42 PM UTC / Reuters / By Blake Brittain

节点运行失败

xAI logo and a court gavel appear in this illustration taken August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

March 5 (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI failed to ​convince a California federal court on Thursday to ‌temporarily block the state’s law requiring companies to disclose information about the data they use to train AI models.

U.S. District Judge Jesus ​Bernal in Los Angeles said that xAI had not ​yet shown it was likely to prove the law ⁠violated its free-speech rights or was otherwise unconstitutional.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

Spokespeople for ​xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment ​on the ruling. A spokesperson for the California Department of Justice said the department “celebrates this key win and remains committed to continuing our ​defense” of the law.

California’s law, enacted by Governor Gavin ​Newsom in September 2024, requires generative AI companies to publicly post a ‌summary ⁠of the datasets used to train their systems. The data transparency law went into effect on January 1, and is part of the state’s broader push to regulate AI companies.

xAI ​sued the ​state in December. ⁠It argued the law violated its free-speech rights under the U.S. Constitution and would ​force the company to reveal trade secrets about ​how ⁠its AI models are trained.

Bernal on Thursday denied xAI’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the law’s enforcement, finding ⁠the ​company had not shown at this ​stage in the case that its lawsuit was likely to succeed.

Reporting by Blake ​Brittain in Washington; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A record share of Americans are taking emergency withdrawals from their 401(k)s

March 5, 2026 / 4:03 PM EST / CBS News

A record share of Americans are tapping their retirement savings accounts to cover emergency expenses, according to new data from financial services firm Vanguard.

In 2025, 6% of people enrolled in Vanguard 401(k) plans made so-called hardship withdrawals from their accounts, up from 5% in 2024, according to the company’s 2026 report on Americans’ savings habits.

The share of workers tapping hardship withdrawals has risen in recent years, reflecting the financial pressure many households face when unexpected bills hit. Hardship withdrawals are permitted by the IRS for a limited number of financial issues, including covering medical care or payments to avoid eviction or foreclosure.

The rising incidence of hardship withdrawals highlights the importance of setting aside money for emergencies, Vanguard’s Jeff Clark, head of defined contribution research and the author of the report on savings, told CBS News.

Retirement funds are increasingly providing a financial buffer when households lack other resources.

“With more sponsors auto-enrolling workers, people saving at higher rates, they’re building meaningful balances, and so they have retirement assets available if a financial shock occurs,” he told CBS News. “It’s inadvertently providing a financial safety net because if they hadn’t been auto-enrolled, they might not have had those assets to tap into for an emergency.”

Many workers are enjoying bigger 401(k) balances due to stock gains during the past few years, as well as design improvements that have made it easier for employees to save. Auto enrollment and similar features helped 45% of plan participants increase their savings rates last year, Vanguard said.

1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad

At the end of 2025, the average account balance sat at $168,000, up 13% from the end of 2024, driven by strong stock market performance, the company said.

Congress has also made it easier for workers to make hardship withdrawals. For example, a 2022 law lets employees take money out if they are victims of domestic abuse, or for federally declared disasters. The same law allows them to make a penalty-free withdrawal of up to $1,000 once every three years.

In 2025, the median withdrawal amount was $1,900, according to Vanguard.

These were the top reasons people tapped into their 401(k)s:

• Avoiding foreclosure or eviction: 36%
• Medical expenses: 31%
• Tuition: 13%
• Primary residence repairs: 11%
• Primary residence purchase: 5%

The withdrawals also underscore a broader challenge: many Americans have little retirement savings to fall back on.

Research shows that Americans are behind when it comes to saving for retirement, with the median working-age American having only socked away $1,000 for their golden years, according to a 2026 report from the National Institute on Retirement Security.

That figure includes people with retirement plan savings as well as those who lack access to an employer-sponsored plan.

Another report from the AARP found that more seniors — about 7% of retirees —are returning to the workplace after retiring, citing financial pressures.

Edited by Aimee Picchi

House votes to let Trump’s Operation Epic Fury continue in Iran

Vote comes after the Senate similarly voted down a bid to rein in President Trump’s war powers

By Elizabeth Elkind, Alex Miller
Fox News

Published March 5, 2026 4:38pm EST

The House of Representatives narrowly voted to allow President Donald Trump to continue Operation Epic Fury in Iran on Thursday.

A bipartisan resolution led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., failed to pass after four Democrats joined most Republicans in sinking it, 212 to 219.

The legislation was aimed at blocking Trump from using the Armed Forces in the joint U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, which would likely force the strikes to grind to a halt.

The Trump administration, as well as the majority of Republicans in Congress, have insisted that the president has acted within his authority so far and are hopeful he will continue to do so.

President Donald Trump gives a speech about the economy at the Coosa Steel Corporation factory in Rome, Georgia, on Feb. 19, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

But Democrats, along with Massie and Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, are largely skeptical. Both Republicans voted in favor of the measure.

The Democrats who voted against reining in Trump’s war powers include Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio.

“The Ayatollah was not a president. He was a religious leader from a region notorious for radical Islamists and the United States and Israel turned him into a martyr,” Massie said during debate on the resolution. “If Congress wants war, then the speaker should hold a vote to declare it.”

Davidson said Wednesday, “The moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat.”

Other Republican lawmakers said they were concerned that handicapping the operation now could do more harm than good.

“I think the president is well within his legal authorities to conduct this operation,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “I think any effort to stymie that would actually jeopardize our national security and jeopardize our troops.”

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., left, and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., conduct a news conference outside a Department of Justice office in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital, “I’ll be voting no, against the War Powers Act, because once the president has taken that action, that first action, if we were to pull back, it would actually leave us more vulnerable and less safe by leaving all of their capabilities in place, but having started a conflict like this.”

U.S. officials have said their targets remain Iran’s military assets, senior leadership, and nuclear capabilities. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters this week that the operation will have a finite timeline.

But Democrats are accusing Trump of plunging the U.S. into a seemingly endless conflict while running roughshod over Congress’ Article I authority.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last vote of the week on Jan. 9, 2026.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

“Donald Trump has taken America to war without authorization, without explanation, without a strategy or an exit plan. Six brave service members have already given the ultimate sacrifice,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said on Wednesday.

The Thursday vote comes a day after the Senate shot down a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran following days of speculation about whether Republicans would cross the aisle — as they have done before — to reprimand the president.

Only Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted in favor of the resolution among Republicans, while Sen. Jon Fetterman, D-Pa., was the lone Democrat to cross the aisle in support.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

Federal contractor who allegedly stole $46 million in crypto arrested in Caribbean, FBI says

March 5, 2026 / 4:12 PM EST / CBS News

A federal contractor accused of stealing $46 million in cryptocurrency was arrested in the Caribbean, the FBI announced.

John Daghita was nabbed Wednesday night by law enforcement on the island of Saint Martin, FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media. Photos posted online by the FBI and Saint Martin police show Daghita, who allegedly stole the crypto from the U.S Marshals Service, being taken away in handcuffs with a swimming pool seen in the background. A separate photo posted by law enforcement shows a suitcase full of cash.

The photos show the suitcase surrounded by computer flash drives and a passport. Patel said that the operation was conducted in cooperation with the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit of the French Gendarmerie National in Saint Martin, and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale of Guadeloupe.

It is unclear how Daghita accessed digital currency.

“FBI will continue working 24/7 with our international partners to track down, apprehend, and bring to justice those who attempt to defraud American taxpayers—no matter where they try to hide,” Patel said.

Republican lawmaker urges Bessent to guard against Chinese investment

By Michael Martina and David Lawder
March 5, 2026 8:04 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

节点运行失败

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s annual report to Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

• Summary
• Companies

• Moolenaar warns against Chinese firms’ U.S. investment due to national security risks
• Trump’s tariffs focus on reviving American manufacturing and safeguarding technology
• Trump plans Beijing trip March 31 to April 2

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) – Reviving market access ​to Chinese industrial firms would undercut U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to rebuild American manufacturing, the head ‌of a congressional committee on China warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as Trump prepares to visit Beijing for trade talks.

Chinese foreign direct investment into the U.S. has fallen dramatically in recent years as U.S. officials talk about the need to “de-risk” the United States’ economy, though some ​media reports have suggested the two sides are looking at ways to revive reciprocal investment.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

John Moolenaar, the Republican ​chair of the House of Representatives’ select committee on China, told Bessent in a letter seen ⁠by Reuters that Chinese companies routinely benefit from government support allowing them to operate at a loss and displace ​U.S. competitors.

Inviting them to expand investment in the U.S. would provide relief to China’s strained economy and undermine the administration’s ​efforts to safeguard national security and rebuild American industrial strength, Moolenaar told Bessent in the letter dated March 4.

“Beijing seeks to subsidize its broken economic model on the back of the American taxpayer and capitalize on the ill-gotten gains of its mass intellectual property theft by exporting ​its state-subsidized industrial overcapacity to our shores,” Moolenaar said.

The letter comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Trump ​and Chinese President Xi Jinping, expected March 31 to April 2. The Trump administration hopes the leaders can agree to extend a delicate tariff truce ⁠amid an ongoing industrial and technological rivalry.

The U.S. president, using controversial tariffs, has made reviving American manufacturing a focus of his economic agenda, including efforts to win investment commitments from partners and allies in key industries, such as semiconductor fabrication and shipbuilding.

But Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 singling out the risks of Chinese investment for “targeting the crown jewels” of American technology.

The U.S. Trade ​Representative’s office said this week ⁠in a policy document that it would seek “constructive foreign investment” that grows the U.S. industrial base but does not imperil U.S. national security.

Without naming China directly, USTR’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda pledged to ​use the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to guard against national ​security threats and ⁠promote “productive, market-based investment.”

China’s embassy in Washington and the Treasury Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment on whether the two sides were discussing any plans to increase reciprocal investment.

Moolenaar specifically warned against allowing greater inroads to Chinese firms in the auto and lithium-ion ⁠battery ​industries. The Michigan lawmaker has repeatedly scrutinized Ford’s (F.N) partnership with Chinese battery giant ​CATL (300750.SZ), a company the Pentagon says is linked to China’s military.

Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, the top Chinese trade negotiator, are expected to meet in mid-March ​to plan for the leaders’ summit.

Reporting by Michael Martina and David Lawder in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee and Diane Craft

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Iran war hits housing market as mortgage rates rise to 6% on inflation fears

March 5, 2026 / 4:49 PM EST / CBS News

Mortgage rates are edging up on Thursday amid renewed inflation fears tied to the war in Iran.

The average national rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6%, up modestly from 5.98% last week, the lowest since September 2022, according to new data from Freddie Mac. Home loan costs remain far lower than a year ago, when they topped 6.6%.

Still, experts said even an incremental rise to 6% could deter some buyers.

“Two hundredths of a percentage point is not making or breaking anyone’s ability to buy a home,” said Kate Wood, a lending expert at NerdWallet. “But psychologically… this feels huge.”

Inflation fears rattle bond market

Mortgage rates tend to move in tandem with the bond market, particularly the 10-year Treasury note. But the Iran war is driving up global oil prices, fanning concerns about rising inflation in the U.S. In turn, that is boosting bond yields as investors demand higher returns.

While bonds are normally considered a safe investment, Wood said investors are likely shifting money to even more stable assets like money market funds amid heightened economic uncertainty.

Historically, fixed mortgage rates have run roughly one to two percentage points higher than Treasury yields, according to the Brookings Institution.

The 10-year Treasury note reached 4.14% on Thursday afternoon, up from 3.96% on February 27, the day before the U.S. and Israel began military operations against Iran.

Gas prices up 26 cents

Oil prices have jumped as crude shipments passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz stall, creating shortfalls in global supply. Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert at GasBuddy, told CBS News on Thursday that the world is now losing access to around 20 million barrels of oil a day due to a slowdown in tanker traffic in the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

U.S. gasoline prices have climbed 26 cents a gallon since last week, according to GasBuddy, which tracks fuel prices. As of Thursday, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas was $3.25, the highest level since April 2025.

Inflationary pressures carry implications beyond the bond market. Higher consumer prices could discourage the Federal Reserve from lowering its benchmark interest rate, or even spur it to raise rates. The central bank’s rate decisions do not directly impact mortgage rates, but do affect the broader lending environment.

Wood said mortgage rates could rise more in the coming weeks if the disruption in oil supplies lifts inflation. “I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re likely to see higher rates, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised,” she said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/white-house-insists-iran-war-wont-impact-us-economy-but-gas-prices-are-soaring/

Oklahoma GOP senator must win over Democrats who have rejected White House compromise offers on ICE reforms

By Alex Miller, Adam Pack
Fox News

Published March 5, 2026 5:31pm EST

Video: ‘It was time’ for Noem’s firing, source tells Fox News

Fox News senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy reports on the details that led to the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, according to sources, on ‘The Story.’

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., was just tapped to replace embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but first he must be confirmed by the Senate.

But with anger and frustration over the direction of the Department of Homeland Security under Noem still simmering, and the agency still shut down, Senate Democrats aren’t likely to make that an easy process.

Still, Mullin said he was ready for the challenge ahead.

Image 46: Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.

Sen. Markwayne Mullins’, R-Okla., path to running the Department of Homeland Security won’t be easy in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is already bucking his shocking nomination.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“We’re going to try to earn everybody’s vote,” Mullin said.

“I want people to understand I’m not — when I go into this position, yes, I’m a Republican, yes, I’m conservative,” he continued. “But the Department of Homeland Security is to keep everybody — regardless of whether you support me, if you don’t support me, regardless of what your thoughts are — I’m here to enforce the policies that Congress passed.”

Mullin’s confirmation process could become the next battleground for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats to continue their campaign of handcuffing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

They have so far rejected every offer from the White House on compromise reforms to the agency and on Thursday again blocked a full-year funding bill to reopen DHS.

KRISTI NOEM TO FACE SENATE GRILLING OVER MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTINGS AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS WEEK 3

Image 47: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats again blocked a bid by Republicans to fund the Department of Homeland Security.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“I’ve been asked if I would support Sen. Mullin as Noem’s replacement,” Schumer said on X. “The answer is a resounding NO. The rot in DHS is deep, much deeper than any individual. It’s a question of policy, not personnel. The Senate should not consider any DHS Secretary nominee until DHS and ICE are reined in.”

Mullin said that he would sit down with Schumer if the top Senate Democrat wished, but reiterated that he was after every Democrats’ vote for the job.

“At the end of the day, all I can do is do my job,” Mullin said. “I’m not going to get into, you know, a tit-for-tat, but if they have real concerns, I’m going to listen to it. I’m going to see if it’s practical. But nothing’s going to prevent me from doing my job.”

Floor and committee time is a valuable commodity in the Senate, which is currently processing a colossal housing package and still trying to reopen the very agency Mullin has been tapped to run.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hopes to get the ball rolling quickly to fill the position, given that President Donald Trump set Noem’s exit date from the job for March 31.

KRISTI NOEM OUSTED FROM HOMELAND SECURITY POST AMID RECENT TURMOIL

Image 49: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“He’s obviously pretty well-vetted around here, so hopefully we can get the process going, because I think that’s a position that’s going to need to be filled quickly,” Thune said.

And Noem’s confirmation last year wasn’t a smooth process, either. The Senate confirmed her 59 to 34, with only seven Senate Democrats voting with all Republicans to install her in the position.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., was one of the few who joined Republicans to confirm Noem. He’s also the top-ranking Democrat on the panel and will be heavily involved in vetting his colleague for the position.

When asked by Fox News Digital if he envisioned hurdles for Mullin ahead, Peters said, “I don’t know.”

“I haven’t thought about it yet,” he said. “This is all new information, so give me time to process it. Then I’m happy to answer questions.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump’s decision to tap Mullin comes as support among Senate Republicans for Noem was crumbling. She faced a grilling from Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier in the week, and many Republicans weren’t quick to say they still backed her afterward.

Others were still in her corner.

“I think Kristi Noem has done a good job,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said.

Still, despite what could become a grueling confirmation effort, Mullin has at least one Senate Democrat he doesn’t have to worry about supporting him: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who called the lawmaker a “nice upgrade” compared to the outgoing Noem.

“Yes, we’re in a different party, but this is the choice,” Fetterman said. “I want to work together to make our America more secure.”

Related Article

Image 52: Schumer, Dems hold firm on DHS funding despite Noem’s bombshell ousting

Schumer, Dems hold firm on DHS funding despite Noem’s bombshell ousting

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

‘I love this country with a soldier’s passion’: How one House Republican voted to buck Trump on Iran

2026-03-05T22:58:55.010Z / CNN

By Annie Grayer

12 min ago

PUBLISHED Mar 5, 2026, 5:58 PM ET

Congressional news Donald Trump The Middle East

Facebook TweetEmailLink Threads

Link Copied!

Rep. Warren Davidson leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the US Capitol on November 18, 2025.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images/File

Republican Rep. Warren Davidson, a West Point graduate who served in the Army, remembers when the US went to war in Kosovo without congressional authorization.

It was part of the reason he decided to run for the US Congress.

On Thursday, Davidson was one of just two Republicans to vote with Democrats – and against President Donald Trump – to rein in the president’s war authority and require the White House to seek congressional approval before continuing US military action against Iran.

Ad Feedback

To be sure, Davidson is not used to being on the opposite side of the president. But the Ohio Republican said his vote was meant to remind Trump that he was once vocally against endless wars.

Republicans ultimately blocked the effort, but in a conversation with CNN ahead of the vote, Davidson said his vote was also to assure conservatives balking at the war effort that they still have a Republican representative in Congress.

The message, he said, was simply: “Hey, there’s still people that hear you.”

[Related article CNN How each House member voted on Trump’s Iran war powers 1 min read]

Even though he and staunch anti-interventionist Thomas Massie were the only Republicans to vote in favor of Democrats’ war powers push, Davidson said many of his Republican colleagues expressed similar concerns behind the scenes. If the war with Iran continues for 60 days without authorization, it could be a constitutional crisis, he said of those conversations.

“I’ve been encouraged to see that I’m not the only person that shares this viewpoint. I might be the only person that votes this way on this resolution but there are a lot of people in the movement that share these concerns,” Davidson told CNN.

The Ohio Republican did not come to his decision lightly and it wasn’t without pressure from both House GOP leadership and the Trump administration.

Ahead of a House classified briefing with Trump administration officials about the US strikes against Iran earlier this week, Davidson was open to being persuaded to vote with the majority of his party. But he said he had at least two conditions: He needed to know what intelligence the president had received that made him want to engage in war when he has historically been against it, and he needed to know what limiting factors existed on the ongoing operation.

During the classified briefing, Davidson stood up to ask a question, a source in the room told CNN.

Davidson declined to share that question with CNN, but he said the administration has publicly answered why Trump felt it was time to engage in war but that it has not put any limitations on what the conflict will look like.

The next morning, Davidson confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson during a closed-door meeting about his views of Article I of the US Constitution and the role Congress should play in authorizing the use of military force, a source familiar with the exchange told CNN.

After that interaction, House GOP leadership kept the conversation with Davidson going, thinking the congressman could still change his mind, a GOP leadership aide told CNN.

But later Wednesday, Davidson announced on the House floor that he would be voting against his party’s leadership and in support of the war powers resolution.

[Related article Rep. Eugene Vindman speaks in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. Bryan Dozier/NURPHO/AP They fought in Iraq. Now they’re the Democrats’ loudest voices against the war in Iran. 6 min read]

“I love this country with a soldier’s passion,” Davidson said from the House floor. “I rise in support of this war powers resolution today because the moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by our Constitution is a grave threat.”

Massie, the Kentucky Republican who co-led the legislation with California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, is used to being on an island apart from his Republican colleagues as the result of his high-profile fights against the president. He applauded Davidson’s willingness to stand up for what he believed in.

“I’m beyond the pressure campaign. I’m in the part where they just try to unselect you,” Massie said. “It seems like anybody who gets on the same side of an issue with me where I’m taking up for the Constitution and standing for what we campaigned on instead of the flavor of the day does take a lot of heat. But Warren’s done that already before. He’s not afraid to take heat.”

Davidson, who says he still has friends in active duty, said a vote in Congress goes a long way in showing soldiers that their country is behind them.

“It’s like, ‘Hey, how is it you can’t vote? Or if it’s tied 213-213, you’re ready to send us, and you guys can’t even work this out amongst yourselves?’ And so, I think it really is a huge boost for the soldiers to know that the whole country is behind them,” he said.

On Thursday, Davidson sat alone toward the back of the House chamber when he cast his vote.

Congressional news Donald Trump The Middle East

Facebook TweetEmailLink Threads

Link Copied!

Ad Feedback