The Words of War Republicans Refuse to Say

President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking to the Republican Members Issues Conference at Trump National Doral Miami on March 9, 2026 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Bootlickers on the ground

Senate Republicans have been careful to avoid getting over their skis when it comes to the Trump administration’s war in Iran.

While President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have at times referred to the operation as a “war,”¹ GOP lawmakers have been fastidious about calling it anything else. “Boots on the ground” is the other phrase they mincingly dance around, since at that point it becomes pretty much impossible to insist this is an “excursion,” as Trump likes to say, clearly confusing that word for “incursion.” But it’s getting harder for them.

That’s because it seems evident that boots being put on the ground in Iran is where this thing is heading. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) emerged from a classified briefing about the Iran operation on Tuesday and told reporters he now had “more questions than answers, especially about the cost of the war.” He also said the administration’s stated goals suggest that American troops will be deployed into Iran soon, which would be a significant change from the ongoing air mission.

“I emerged from this briefing dissatisfied and angry, frankly, that I have for any past briefing in my fifteen years in the Senate,” Blumenthal said. “I am most concerned about the threat to American lives of potentially deploying our sons and daughters on the ground in Iran. We seem to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran to accomplish any of the potential objectives.”

With the exception of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has openly bragged about his role in coaching the Israelis to better convince Trump of the military campaign’s necessity, Republicans senators are nervous about a longer-term conflict that could include American troops in Iran.

“I don’t believe that,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told me of Blumenthal’s assessment. “I’m on the Intelligence Committee, and I haven’t heard any discussion of [troops on the ground in Iran].”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who also serves on the Intelligence Committee, told me the idea that the administration is moving towards a troop deployment “was not my impression at all.”