Trump and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy Clash in Heated Closed-Door Meeting

President Donald Trump and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy got into a shouting match overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday, during a closed-door meeting with dozens of Republican lawmakers in Washington over the war with Iran and Trump’s treatment of Congress. According to Cassidy, the argument began after Trump asked how some lawmakers had voted for a Senate resolution meant to block the continuation of the war. Cassidy interrupted him and told him, "Do you really want to know?"

Cassidy said he told Trump that the administration had not explained what was happening, that the conflict was supposed to last four weeks but had gone on for four months, and that the original goals had not been met. He said he would keep supporting limits on Trump’s power to wage war against Iran until he received a briefing on the campaign’s progress. U.S. media reported that Trump shouted back, repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, called him "crazy," and reminded him he had lost his Senate seat. Cassidy also shouted back, later admitting he had lost his temper.

CNN reported that one trigger for the clash was that Trump spoke at length and left little time for senators to speak or ask questions. Cassidy later said his outburst was "not appropriate," but added, "I have no regrets about standing up to the president." He said he matched Trump’s "tone and intensity" and felt Trump was trying to "humiliate" him.

A few hours later, Cassidy went to the White House for the briefing he had requested, alongside Vice President JD Vance and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Afterward, he changed his position and returned to the Capitol, where he voted late at night against another move to limit Trump’s war powers, which Republicans blocked. The confrontation comes amid wider Republican frustration with Trump, including his refusal to sign a bill backed by party lawmakers and his repeated moves to bypass Congress.