During Friday’s appearance on America Reports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized the 53 House Democrats who voted against a resolution reaffirming that Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, saying those lawmakers had “lost their minds.” The discussion began when co-host John Roberts highlighted the contrast between this week’s vote and a similar House measure passed three years earlier, which had received near-unanimous support. In that earlier vote, only one lawmaker opposed the resolution, while this time 53 Democrats voted no.
Leavitt argued that the shift reflected growing political division in Washington rather than any real disagreement over U.S. foreign policy. She said the position that Iran supports terrorism has long been accepted across party lines in the United States and by many allied nations, especially Western governments. According to Leavitt, opposition to the measure was driven by Democratic efforts to challenge President Donald Trump and his administration’s recent national security actions. She claimed some lawmakers were unwilling to support even long-established policy positions if they believed doing so might strengthen Trump politically.
The resolution, introduced by Brian Mast, passed the House by a vote of 372 to 53. It states that Iran continues to provide major financial and military backing to armed groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The measure also cites Pentagon estimates that Iranian-backed militias were responsible for the deaths of at least 603 American service members in Iraq. In addition, it references concerns raised by Rafael Grossi over Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium and limited access for nuclear inspectors. Some Democrats defended their opposition, arguing the resolution contained political messaging rather than new policy. Representative Lateefah Simon said the language included inaccuracies and was crafted mainly to justify Trump’s actions toward Iran, noting that U.S. policy already recognizes Iran’s role in sponsoring terrorism.
