Not every Senate Republican thinks writing Iran a letter was all that smart


If 47 Senate Republicans signed Sen. Tom Cotton's (R-Ark.) letter warning Iran not to trust any nuclear deal signed with President Obama, that means seven didn't. Some of those seven Republicans explained to The Daily Beast's Tim Mak why they thought the letter was counterproductive or even inappropriate, but even some aides of the senators who signed the letter think it was a dumb idea.
"Before the letter, the national conversation was about [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's speech and how Obama’s negotiations with Iran are leading to a terrible deal that could ultimately harm U.S. national security," one Senate GOP aide told Mak, apparently assuming that the nation talks about foreign policy. But now, the aide added, the conversation has shifted "toward a deeply political pie fight over presidential and congressional prerogatives."
Other anonymous GOP aides argued that everyone, including Obama, was taking the "cheeky" letter too seriously. "The administration has no sense of humor when it comes to how weakly they have been handling these negotiations," one top GOP Senate aide told Mak. Read his entire report at The Daily Beast.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Kim Ju Ae: North Korea’s next leader?
The Explainer Kim Jong Un’s young daughter is being seen as his ‘recognised heir’ following a high-profile public appearance at China summit
-
Is the UK government getting too close to Big Tech?
Today’s Big Question US-UK tech pact, supported by Nvidia and OpenAI, is part of Silicon Valley drive to 'lock in' American AI with US allies
-
Russia’s war games and the threat to Nato
In depth Incursion into Poland and Zapad 2025 exercises seen as a test for Europe
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
A long weekend in Zürich
The Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle