President Donald Trump and his allies notched a significant win in the Senate late Wednesday after mounting a charm offensive on his deal to end the war in Iran.
Vice President JD Vance hosted GOP senators on Wednesday evening for dinner along with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Skeptics of the Iran deal “came away willing to give the administration room to negotiate,” according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Witkoff also hosted Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., for an Iran briefing — and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., left a divisive meeting with Trump vowing to give him more room to negotiate. Paul then voted present on a resolution to rein in Trump’s war powers on Iran and Cassidy voted no, defeating the measure; Trump had castigated Cassidy just hours earlier.
The Senate is now in recess for two weeks, a welcome reprieve for the divided GOP.