A pair of Republicans running to represent Massachusetts on Capitol Hill say there should be clearer communication between the Trump administration and Congress about the unfolding U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran.
John Deaton, a Bolton Republican running for U.S. Senate, said he wasn’t surprised to hear of the initial strikes this weekend after watching the build-up of American military might in the region. Asked in an interview Monday if the strikes were the right move, he said he needs more information to make an assessment.
“Like every American, I want to know more,” said Deaton, a Marine veteran. “And we were told in June of 2025 that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were obliterated. Was there progress? What was the current status in negotiations?”
Deaton, who is running for the seat held by Sen. Ed Markey, said he’s bothered by “career politicians who are inconsistent” by going after President Donald Trump for not seeking Congressional approval ahead of the strikes if they were silent when Democratic presidents also launched attacks without authorization.
He said there needs to be an imminent threat for a president to use his inherent powers as commander in chief, and the Trump administration now must articulate what that threat was. Deaton said Congress is doing its job by demanding more information.
“There’s just a lack of communication, and at the same time, it just happened, so they’re not going to share everything upfront, but they’re going to have to make a case to Congress before more American lives get lost,” Deaton said. “And I think that’s a good thing. I think that President Trump got elected in part because America was exhausted with foreign wars and foreign entanglement and so, you know, this could be a defining moment for his presidency.”
Members of the state’s all-Democrat Congressional delegation swiftly condemned the attacks on Iran over the weekend, with many highlighting that Trump acted without Congress’s authorization.
Essex Republican Micah Jones, a candidate for the seat U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is vacating to challenge Markey, said he “very much believes in congressional authority,” and that it’s now up to Congress to take a vote on the president’s use of military powers. Like Deaton, he pointed out that many U.S. military operations have not received Congress’ approval.
Jones, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, said it’s important that the Trump administration “continues to lay out the objectives and have constant communication, both to U.S. servicemembers deployed and engaging in Operation Epic Fury, but also with congressional lawmakers.”
“I’m somebody who is very concerned about forever wars, but I still believe that there is a surgical use of American force that can be very much used to advance U.S. interests and also keep both the United States’ interests abroad and our alliances safe,” Jones told GBH News.
He said many U.S. servicemembers have died over the years because of the Iranian regime, which he called a “force for chaos in the world.”
The state GOP released a statement Saturday saying that Massachusetts Republicans “stand firmly in support of President Trump and the effort to defend Americans and U.S. interests around the world against the brutal Khamenei regime.”
“The Khamenei regime in Iran not only threatened our greatest ally in the region, Israel, but also has waged war against Americans and the interests of the United States for nearly 50 years,” Mass. GOP Chair Amy Carnavele said. “The decisive action by President Trump was taken only after the ayatollahs refused to come to the table to negotiate the country’s nuclear stockpile. The people of Iran now have an opportunity to seize the moment for a freer Iran and more stable Middle East.”
One Republican candidate for governor, Mike Kennealy, struck a similar note on social media, with a rebuke of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the strikes.
“Khamenei sponsored terrorism around the world and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans,” Kennealy, who was former Gov. Charlie Baker’s economic development chief, wrote in a post on X. “He butchered tens of thousands of his own people just last month, and he oppressed women and minorities’ rights for decades. The world is far better off without him. The people of Iran have a chance to reclaim their freedom. Take it!”
The two other Republicans in the gubernatorial race, Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Minogue, are veterans.
Mike Minogue, who served in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer during Operation Desert Storm, said he and his wife, Renee, are praying for military servicemembers and also “pray that these actions bring greater stability to the region and create an opportunity for the Iranian people to seize their own future free of tyranny.”
“Having served overseas myself, I understand the burden our troops carry and the sacrifice shared by their families at home,” Minogue said in a statement. “When America acts, it carries enormous responsibility. Our service members execute difficult missions with courage and professionalism in defense of our national security and the cause of freedom.”
Shortsleeve, who led Marine deployments in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf before running the MBTA under Baker, said he and his family “are keeping our military men and women in our thoughts during this dangerous moment.”
“They carry the burden of decisions made far from home, and they deserve our full support,” Shortsleeve said in a statement. “We pray for their safety and for the swift end to the conflict in the Middle East. America is strongest when our troops come home safe and our mission is complete.”
