'Cannot be excused away': Republicans break ranks to bash Trump's 'rhetoric' on Iran

A pair of Republican lawmakers broke ranks on Tuesday to bash President Donald Trump's latest threat to Iran.

Trump threatened to destroy the entire Iranian "civilization" in a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning if the Iranian regime did not agree to a deal to end the war by the 8:00 p.m. ET deadline that Trump set. Trump has said negotiations are ongoing, and sources told CNN that a deal seems likely to be approved before the deadline.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) lashed out at Trump's statement in separate social media posts.

"The President’s threat that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran," Murkowski wrote on X. "This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years. It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home."

Moran added that he "does not support" Trump's threat.

"I have and will continue to support a strong national defense—one that is focused, disciplined, and firmly rooted in protecting the safety and security of the American people," Moran wrote on X. "But, how we protect the lives of the innocent is just as important as how we engage the enemy. America is great because America is good."