Connecticut Dems welcome ceasefire, remain critical of war in Iran
Connecticut’s federal delegation, all Democrats, welcomed the news that the Trump Administration was close to a ceasefire deal with Iran.
Some said the deal ends a war they never wanted, while others said an end to the war doesn’t change their view that President Donald Trump still owes the nation an explanation.
Of those who had commented by Monday, none were complimentary of the terms that had been leaked publicly.
Trump initially declared over the weekend that the U.S. was close to a deal with Iran but has since sought to temper expectations.
“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely!” he wrote on Truth Social. “It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!”
He also later called it “mandatory” that Iran and other Middle East nations sign onto the Abraham Accords, U.S.-brokered agreements that normalize relations with Israel.
As rumored details emerged, some of the strongest criticism came from fellow Republicans.
“The deal being floated with Iran seems straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the IRGC to build a WMD program and terrorize the world,” Mike Pompeo, Trump’s former secretary of state, said in X. “Not remotely America First. It’s straightforward: Open the damned strait. Deny Iran access to money. Take out enough Iranian capability so it cannot threaten our allies in the region.”
The head of the Connecticut Republican party said he wanted more details to emerge before commenting.
Connecticut’s Democrats welcomed news that the war could be ending.
“Anytime that we’re approaching peace that can end this conflict is a great day,” Rep. John Larson, (D-1st District), said after a Memorial Day event in West Hartford.
He also said the president still needs to provide a justification for the war, even if the fighting stops.
“The American public and also the United States Congress needs an explanation from the president of the United States,” he said.
Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Connecticut), said on X that he also welcomed a ceasefire, but added any deal should not distract from the original opposition to the war.
“But that doesn’t mean we should be silent on how incompetent Trump is and how insane this war was from the start,” he wrote.
Rep. Jim Himes, (D-4th District), was even more forceful, echoing criticisms of Republicans who worried the deal would be favorable to Iran.
“Watching the many people who have devoted decades to instigating a war with Iran reconcile to Trump’s inevitable capitulation and acceptance of a terrible deal is … really something,” he said in an X post focused on Trump supporters praising the deal.