Wisconsin Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin hold opposing views on the ongoing war in Iran, as a recent poll shows the conflict is increasingly unpopular with voters.
TMJ4'S Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson interviewed Sen. Johnson the same day Sen. Baldwin called on the Senate to support her War Powers Resolution.
Republican Sen. Johnson believes President Trump should finish the job of ensuring Iran does not have the ability to make a nuclear bomb. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin is calling for an end to the war.
It has been more than 50 days since U.S. military action started in Iran, but Johnson draws a distinction over who started the conflict.
"I absolutely oppose the war that the Iranian Ayatollahs declared on America 47 years ago. You know, they're… they're… sponsoring state terrorism, their pursuit of a nuclear weapon," Johnson said.
Watch: Why Wisconsin senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin disagree over Iran war
Johnson credits Trump for taking on the challenge to end both state-sponsored terrorism and Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
"I think this had to be a tough decision for President Trump to make, but once made, I think you absolutely need to finish the job," Johnson said.
When TMJ4 asked what finishing the job looks like, Johnson acknowledged the difficulty of the situation.
"It'd be nice if the Iranian people could be supported to overthrow the regime. That's going to be tough. There's about 800,000 people in arms, you know, between the IRGC and the Basijian; they are brutal. I mean, this is a regime that slaughtered 30,000 to 40,000 of citizens in a couple days as they were protesting against the regime. So it's not going to be an easy task," Johnson said.
Baldwin sees a fragile ceasefire and an uncertain future. She is pushing for a vote on the War Powers Resolution that would give congressional oversight to halt the war.
"I rise today to end President Trump's war in Iran," Baldwin said.
"This entire war has been unnecessary, illegal, and unwise, and we need to put a check on this president before it gets even worse," Baldwin said.
A national Marquette Law School Poll this week finds 75% approve of the cease-fire with Iran, with higher approval among Republicans. However, 68% disapprove of Trump's handling of the war, with higher disapproval among Democrats and Independents.
"The real restraint on any American president in a war is public opinion. And I'm sure President Trump is feeling that right now. It's not an overly popular war," Johnson said.
TMJ4 pressed Sen Johnson on issues facing Congress and Wisconsin.
FED CHAIR NOMINEE KEVIN WARSH
President Trump has picked Kevin Warsh to be the next Chair of the Federal Reserve. Trump has been very critical of outgoing chairman Jerome Powell, who resisted White House pressure to lower interest rates.
Warsh faced pushback during this week's confirmation hearing from Democrats, with Sen Elizabeth Warren suggesting Warsh would be the president's "sock puppet."
Sen Johnson supports Warsh.
"I'm pretty confident Kevin Warsh is going to do what he believes is in the best interest of America, and that's why I will absolutely support his nomination," Johnson said.
"I think he is an extraordinary pick. President Trump didn't ask him to make any guarantees; he made no guarantees, and I think he will run a completely independent Fed."
REDRAWING CONGRESSIONAL MAPS:
On the topic of mid-decade redistricting, including recent changes in Virginia Tuesday night, Johnson criticized the process when it bypasses traditional guidelines.
Six states have made redistricting changes after President Trump encouraged Texas to redraw congressional maps to create more favorable House seats for Republicans to hold on to their slim majority
"It's always going to be a political process, and our founders set it up that way," Johnson said. It'd be nice if there were some basic rules and guidelines; you do it only after a census. That's been broken now, and now it's almost kind of a race to the bottom here."
WISCONSIN MIDTERM ELECTIONS:
Addressing recent Republican election struggles in Wisconsin, Johnson acknowledged three consecutive massive losses for conservative candidates in state Supreme Court races. He said the Republican Party of Wisconsin needs to find ways to engage voters in off-year elections as effectively as Democrats do.
"There were massive losses. I'm not going to sugarcoat that. We've got a turnout program in non-presidential or non-November elections, you know, in off-year elections. And I'm not quite sure how to fix that."
This story was reported by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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