Nancy Mace Demands Trump Exclude Lindsey Graham from Situation Room Amid Iran Conflict

In a bold move, Congresswoman Nancy Mace has urged President Trump to remove Senator Lindsey Graham from the Situation Room as tensions escalate in Iran.

Mace criticized Graham, a fellow Republican, for his public assertions about advising Trump on military strategies, particularly regarding aggressive actions in Iran.

Graham has been active in discussions with Trump at the White House and has made multiple trips to Israel, where he reportedly encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advocate for military action against Iran.

During a recent CNN interview, Mace reacted to a clip of Graham advocating for the seizure of Kharg Island, Iran's key oil production site. In the clip, Graham stated on Fox News: “So here’s what I’d tell President Trump. Keep it up for a few more weeks. Take Kharg Island – where [there are] all of the resources they have to produce oil – control that island. Let this regime die on a vine… We got two Marine expeditionary units sailing to this island. We did Iwo Jima. We can do this.”

Mace responded with a historical reference, saying, “Seven thousand Marines died on the black sands of Iwo Jima,” and insisted, “I want President Trump to take Lindsey Graham out of the situation room.”

When asked by host Laura Coates if Graham was indeed advising the president, Mace replied, “He brags about it,” expressing concern that Graham had not fully considered the ramifications of such military actions.

Trump has faced criticism from various members of his MAGA base regarding the ongoing conflict, including notable media figures.

On Wednesday, Mace left a House Armed Services hearing in frustration, alleging that Washington's “war machine” is pushing for ground troops in Iran.

Taking to social media, she expressed her opposition to deploying U.S. troops in the Middle East, stating, “Just walked out of a House Armed Services briefing on Iran. Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing.”

Mace drew parallels between the current military campaign against Iran and the Iraq War, which spanned from 2003 to 2011. She warned that “Washington’s war machine is hard at work. They are trying to drag us into Iran to make it another Iraq. We can’t let them.”

Trump's 2024 campaign emphasized an “America First” approach, prioritizing domestic interests over foreign conflicts. In his victory speech, he asserted, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”

Mace alleged that lawmakers were presented with differing justifications for the war than what was communicated publicly. She stated, “The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee.”

She expressed concern over this discrepancy, noting, “This gap is deeply troubling. The longer this war continues, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people.”

While Trump has claimed that Iran poses an “imminent” threat due to its nuclear ambitions and missile development, former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent has countered that Iran does not represent an immediate danger to the U.S.

A recent poll indicated that only 33 percent of Americans believe the war is justified, while 47 percent disagree.

The Pentagon has begun deploying approximately 2,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East as part of the ongoing military efforts. The specific destinations for these paratroopers remain uncertain.