GOP praises U.S.-Iran cease-fire; some Dems seek Trump's ouster

by · UPI

April 8 (UPI) -- Following President Donald Trump's announcement of a two-week cease-fire in the war with Iran, many Republicans praised the move and his leadership, while Democrats responded more cautiously, with some calling for Trump to be removed from office.

Trump announced the two-week cease-fire shortly after 6:30 p.m. EDT, about 90 minutes before the deadline he had set for Iran to agree to a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz of face widespread destruction.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called Trump's announcement "excellent news" and "a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable."

He said it is an example of "what happens when you have a leader who puts peace through strength over chaos and weak appeasement policies."

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"This is Iran's chance to do the right thing," he said on social media.

"The president has been clear: Iran must NEVER have a nuclear weapon, the Strait of Hormuz MUST be completely open and our country and our great ally Israel must NEVER be threatened again by Iran or its proxies."

The war began Feb. 28 when Israel and the United States launched a joint attack against Iran, which responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime transport route through which flows about one-fifth of global oil supplies.

The closure has been a key issue in negotiations, with Trump having repeatedly threatened destructive attacks across Iran unless it reopened the strait. The agreement was announced less than two hours before his deadline.

Trump should be "commended" for achieving the cease-fire, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said in a statement.

"I support negotiations that lead to Iran never having nuclear capabilities," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a strong ally of the president and a vocal supporter for war against Iran, said he hoped "we can end the reign of terror of the Iranian regime through diplomacy," but said he looked forward to seeing the 10-point proposal from Iran.

"It is imperative Iran is not rewarded for this hostile act against the world," he said online.

"I want to reaffirm that from my point of view, every ounce of the approximately 900 lbs. of highly enriched uranium has to be controlled by the U.S. and removed from Iran to prevent them in the future from having a dirty bomb or returning to the enrichment business."

While expressing relief over the halt in the fighting, many Democrats expressed worry about the deal Trump has agreed to.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said it appears Trump has agreed to give Iran control of the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as "a history changing win for Iran."

"The level of incompetence is both stunning and heartbreaking," he said.

In a second social media statement, Murphy expressed dismay over conditions in Iran's 10-point plan that Trump said would be used as a foundation for further talks, especially over Iran potentially being allowed to retain its nuclear program while lifting all sanctions from Tehran.

"If this isn't true -- and let's hope it's not -- it is proof that there is indeed no deal," he said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, also of Connecticut, criticized the cease-fire for being needed in the first place. The war, he said, cost the United States tens of billions of dollars, thousands of lives throughout the region and triggered a global economic and energy crisis.

"All for a war that Trump cannot even begin to explain & that has achieved none of his constantly shifting & contradictory objectives," Blumenthal said online.

"A ceasefire for the American people is no victory."

Earlier Tuesday, Trump had threatened Iran in his most bellicose language to date, saying "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Tehran doesn't agree to a cease-fire and open the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat drew condemnation from dozens of Democrats who were calling for Trump to be impeached.

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said he had filed articles of impeachment against Trump, as well as called on his Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows for a president to be removed from office if declared to be unable to discharge their responsibilities.

He said Trump has "blown past every requirement to be removed from office."

"He's becoming more unstable by the day," he said in a statement.

"While Republicans in the majority have so far failed to uphold their constitutional responsibility to initiate impeachment proceedings, that does not absolve others of their duty. Members of the Cabinet and those closest to the president can act immediately."

After the cease-fire deal was announced, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among those still calling for Trump to be removed from the White House.

"This statement changes nothing," she said online in reference to Trump's announcement.

She accused Trump of threatening genocide against the Iranian people in a long list of actions she said he should be removed from office for.

"All of these incidents, and plenty more, have clearly driven our country past the threshold for impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment," she said.

"We cannot risk the world nor the wellbeing of our nation any longer. None of these considerations should be partisan, but shared in good faith by Americans of all backgrounds who care for the safety and stability of the United States.

"Whether by his Cabinet or Congress, the President must be removed from office. We are playing with the brink."