Montana’s delegation mostly silent about Trump’s threats in Iran
Darrell Ehrlick
(Daily Montanan) In the wake of threats to wipe Iranian civilization and civilians off the face of the Earth in a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump, Montana’s Congressional delegation remained silent about their support — or concerns — with the way the war and bombings against Iran are going.
On Tuesday, Trump had posted: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” as a threat to Iran and repeating demands to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The feedback on the social media statement alarmed countries and spooked financial markets only to have Trump walk back threats of bombings, saying that there would be a two-week ceasefire to hammer out a peace deal, while world leaders, including Pope Leo XIV, the American-born pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, condemned the threats against civilians. The erratic escalation of the war also has some members of Congress considering the 25th Amendment — a never-before used mechanism to remove a sitting U.S. president from office.
On Tuesday, the Daily Montanan contacted the Treasure State’s four members of Congress for their reactions and comments on the war. The Daily Montana submitted 11 questions to Sens. Tim Sheehy and Steve Daines as well as Reps. Troy Downing and Ryan Zinke. As of 6 p.m., it had received no response from any of them.
The delegation was also relatively silent on the issue on social media. The only recent mention of the war in Iran was a post from Downing that celebrated the retrieval of pilots shot down.
On social media this week, Daines and Zinke praised the opening of the St. Marys siphon — an emergency water project in Montana.
Sheehy posted that “Democrats believe Hamas is good and America is bad. Scary sh—t.”
In an “X” (formerly Twitter) post from Bradley Warren with KULR-TV in Billings, he reported that a spokesperson for Daines and one from Sheehy expressed the Senators’ support for the war.
These were the questions that were submitted by the Daily Montanan to their office:
1. President Trump has continued to threaten to hit targets that would affect or kill civilians in Iran. Do you support his stated objectives and deadlines?
2. Are you concerned that some of these targets could be construed as attacking civilians and therefore become war crimes?
3. Do you have any concerns about wiping out an entire civilization, as Trump has threatened?
4. If these are only rhetorical threats, what does that do to our stature in the world when we make threats, but don’t follow through with them?
5. Polls have continued to show more than a majority of Americans do not support the efforts against Iran. Why do you support the effort?
6. If you do not support the effort in Iran, at what point would you support Congressional intervention or oversight on the issue?
7. Have you been briefed and do you believe that there are clear objectives in this war with Iran, and how can you communicate those with your constituents?
8. The U.S. has repeatedly criticized Vladimir Putin and Russia for its invasion and treatment of the Ukrainian people and it sovereignty. How does that differ from America’s “excursion” into Iran?
9. What is your message for Montanans who are seeing gas prices and the cost of living generally increase?
10. Last week, President Trump said that America doesn’t have enough money for healthcare and childcare; further, those things must be left to the individual states in order to fund the military? Do you agree?
11. President Trump continues to boost military budgets and request additional funding for the war in Iran. Do you support these?