Trump Urges McConnell and Murkowski to Back Iran Funding Bill

President Trump criticized Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Trump called McConnell an "angry man" and said he had been removed from his leadership post. He also said McConnell had been disloyal to Sen. John Thune. McConnell, who now chairs the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, is retiring at the end of the year and has questioned whether a third reconciliation bill will advance.

The administration has not yet sent Congress a supplemental request for additional funding for the Iran military conflict. The Pentagon had sought roughly $200 billion but is now expected to request between $80 billion and $100 billion. Trump said he hoped Republican lawmakers would support the measure.

Trump also directed criticism at Murkowski, saying she had been "terrible" to him and to the country. Murkowski voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial in 2021. Last month she joined two other Republican senators in voting with Democrats to advance a resolution directing Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran.

She has said she will not automatically support a potential Iran supplemental bill.