Trump’s closest ally says he talked to the president about taking dramatic action against Iran as MAGA demands restraint

Lindsey Graham refused to rule out the United States getting directly involved in a war with Iran, and even sending American troops to fight in the Middle East.

The South Carolina senator insisted on Fox News Tuesday that ‘the men and women who serve’ would risk their lives to ‘stop the Ayatollah from having a nuclear weapon.’

‘I can guarantee you that if the Ayatollah gets a nuclear weapon, he will use it,’ Graham stated.

‘I believe that with all my heart and soul, so do the men and women who serve, they’re the ones going, not people answering a poll, and if you ask them, would you be willing to risk your life to stop the Ayatollah from having a nuclear weapon, all of them would say yes, because it makes their country, our country, safer.’

Graham said that launching preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program would prevent an even larger conflict.

‘We live in a world where you’ve got to confront problems. You want to avoid World War Three? Learn the lessons from World War Two,’ he said. 

‘People in World War Two appeased Hitler to the point that it got so much out of hand, we had a world war and 60 million people got killed.’

Graham insisted that the preemptive strikes on the Iranian nuclear program would prevent an even larger conflict

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, right, speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday, March 2, 2020

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada

‘So we live in a world where you pay now or you pay later. Let’s stop this threat before he gets a nuclear weapon. Let’s end this Reign of Terror,’ Graham warned.

‘Let’s do it now. It’s not going to take 20 months, but I can’t guarantee your freedom and your safety, unless we’re willing to fight for it, I can guarantee you this, if we don’t fight for our freedom, we will lose.’ 

Unusual alliances are forming in Congress on whether or not the U.S. should go to war with Iran – as Libertarian Republicans ally themselves with far left Democrats.

Kentucky Republican Rand Paul exclusively told the Daily Mail Tuesday when asked what his red line was when it came to U.S. involvement in Iran that, ‘the Constitution is pretty explicit on war.’

‘No president can go to war or bomb other countries without permission of Congress,’ Paul continued.

‘The Constitution says that a president has to come to Congress and ask for permission or a declaration of war before we can do anything,’ Paul concluded.

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, left, arrives for the Senate Republican leadership vote at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, greets Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as they speak during a stop of their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour at Civic Center Park, March 21, 2025,

Former socialist-aligned Democrat presidential candidate turned Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is also against the U.S. jumping in with two feet in Iran.

Sanders wrote on X Monday that ‘the US must not be dragged into another illegal Netanyahu war – either militarily or financially.’

Sanders’ reasoning against U.S. engagement in the conflict is because he fully puts the blame for starting the war squarely on the shoulders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Across Capitol Hill, another similarly diverse alliance has formed in the House chambers.  

Paul’s fellow Republican Member of Congress from Kentucky, Republican Thomas Massie, joined forces with California Democrat Ro Khanna to introduce the Iran War Powers Resolution ‘to prohibit U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war.’

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) leaves a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June 04, 2025 in Washington, DC

US Representative Ro Khanna (R), Democrat of California, and US Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, speak during a press conference following a vote in the US House on ending US military involvement in the war in Yemen, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 4, 2019

‘This is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,’ Massie wrote on X Tuesday.

Khanna co-chaired Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, and was also a past campaign surrogate for former President Joe Biden.

Many users on social media site X, formerly Twitter were quick to slam Grahams call for the U.S. to enter the conflict.

Daily Wire personality Matt Walsh wrote ‘every true America First conservative should reject this maniac and everyone like him. A regime change war in the Middle East has never made Americans freer. It has nothing to do with our freedom whatsoever.’ 

X user @ryancduff noted ‘Lindsey Graham has one setting and it’s “Warmonger.”‘

Podcaster @ericmmatheny wrote, ‘Lindsey Graham has no children. Therefore he has no emotional frame of reference when it comes to sending your children to war.’

Human Events Editor Jack Posobiec added ‘Graham is now pushing for all out war against Iran, the same way he did in Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine.’