Leavitt Blasts Dems Who Refused To Back Iran ‘Terrorism’ Resolution
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a forceful rebuke of House Democrats on Friday, accusing dozens of lawmakers of abandoning a long-standing bipartisan consensus on Iran during an appearance on America Reports.
The controversy stems from a House vote reaffirming the U.S. position that Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism—a designation historically backed by overwhelming bipartisan majorities. This time, however, 53 Democrats voted against the resolution, a sharp departure from a similar vote just three years earlier that passed nearly unanimously.
Fox News co-host John Roberts highlighted the shift, noting the stark contrast in support and quoting House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who criticized Democrats for rejecting what he called a “basic fact” about the Iranian regime.
Leavitt did not hold back in her response.
“Well, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Nearly three years ago, in 2023, every single member of the House of Representatives, with the exception of one, voted together on this resolution condemning Iran as the world’s state leading sponsor of terror. This is not just a long-standing bipartisan policy of the United States, but nearly every single country on the planet, especially Western countries, have agreed with this basic premise,” she said.
“And now in 2026, you have Democrats on Capitol Hill who have been so debilitated by their derangement and their hatred for the man in the Oval Office right now that they cannot even condemn the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” she added.
“Why? Because they are trying desperately to try to undermine President Donald J. Trump’s essential action that he took to protect the United States of America, to protect our bases and our troops in the Middle East, and to ultimately ensure a more safe and prosperous world, not just in the Middle East, but across the entire globe as well. And that’s just 53 Democrats who have lost their minds.”
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Brian Mast, ultimately passed 372 to 53, affirming that the Islamic Republic of Iran “remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism” and continues to provide support to groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
It further warned that Iran “poses a direct and persistent threat to the United States and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American citizens,” citing Pentagon findings that Iranian-backed militias were responsible for at least 603 U.S. service member deaths in Iraq.
Meanwhile, a separate effort to limit President Trump’s military authority suffered another defeat in the Senate. Lawmakers rejected a war powers resolution in a 52-47 vote, marking the fourth failed attempt to restrict the administration’s ability to conduct military operations against Iran without explicit congressional approval.
The proposal aimed to require Congress to sign off on continued military engagement, but Republicans have largely stood behind the president’s commander-in-chief authority—especially amid ongoing tensions and strategic operations in the region.
Notably, Sen. John Fetterman broke with fellow Democrats by voting against the measure, aligning with Republicans in support of maintaining the president’s flexibility during the conflict.
Democratic leaders, however, have vowed to keep bringing similar resolutions to the floor in an effort to force lawmakers on record and increase pressure on the administration.
President Trump, for his part, has offered mixed signals about the trajectory of the conflict, stating in a recent interview that the war is “close to over,” even as U.S. forces continue enforcing a military blockade of Iranian ports.
For Republicans, the votes this week underscore a broader divide: while the administration pushes a hardline stance against a regime widely viewed as a global sponsor of terrorism, a growing faction on the left appears increasingly unwilling to affirm even long-established national security positions.