Trump Unites GOP on Iran, Democrat Socialists Surge as Israel Rift Widens Ahead of Midterms
As the midterms draw closer, both Republicans and Democrats are fighting to hold their parties together amid deep internal divisions.
Republicans were bitterly split over the war in Iran until President Trump stepped in and forged unity from the chaos. Meanwhile, Democrats are facing a growing political chasm over socialism and Israel that continues to widen.
President Trump came to Capitol Hill to sign a bipartisan housing bill, but instead announced that he won't sign the legislation until Congress passes his election integrity law. In a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans, a shouting match also broke out over GOP support for a resolution blocking the war in Iran.
Afterward, Trump declared all is well within the party. "We like our leader, we like everybody, really in the room, I don't like a few people, but that's okay. For the most part, we have a really well unified party."
Later, Republicans reversed course and voted against the Iran War Powers Resolution.
Meanwhile, Democrats are facing their own divide after three socialist candidates beat out establishment Democrats in the New York primaries and may be headed for Congress.
New York's socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed all three: Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander.
"This is a straight-up battle between the establishment and the insurgency, and the establishment is getting its butt kicked tonight in New York City," said CNN Senior Political Commentator Van Jones.
Trump weighed in on Truth Social too, saying, "Mayor Mamdani pulled through 3 solid Communists, and has received loud and universal applause from the Fake News Media. Congratulations Mr. Mayor! I went 16-0 last night, helping to elect wonderful American Patriots, and the Media doesn't say a word."
*** AI tools threaten to hide CBN News from your online searches! Sign up for CBN Newsletters today to ensure you can still find the latest news from a Christian perspective.***
Lander admits Democrats are divided over Israel and Gaza. "Our party needs to admit that Joe Biden's hug Bibi strategy (referring to Benjamin Netanyahu) was a catastrophic failure. I believe it made us complicit in genocide."
Both Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier refer to Israel as an occupier and an apartheid state.
At Chevalier's victory rally, supporters changed anti-Israel slogans. "Free Palestine!" the crowd chanted repeatedly.
Pro-Israel Democrat Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania predicts more to come, with Democratic Socialists hating on Israel and declaring war on regular Democrats.
"I mean, these are emerging as the full pro-Hamas wing...You know, you have candidates, they abolish ICE, abolish the police, abolish the border...you know, some of these candidates are just outrageous...This has just become, really, it's been the dancing days of the dirt-bag left," Fetterman said.
About The Author
Mr. Lane served as International News Director and Senior International Correspondent for CBN News. He traveled to more than 120 countries—many of them restricted nations or areas hostile to Christianity and other minority faiths where he has interviewed persecution victims and provided video reports and analysis for CBN News. Also, he provided written stories and served as a consultant for the Voice of the Martyrs.
Gary joined The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1984 as the first full-time Middle East Correspondent for CBN News. Based in Jerusalem, Gary produced reports from Beirut on the Lebanese civil war. He was reassigned to Washington, D.C., at the start of President Reagan’s second term and served as National Security Correspondent from the U.S. State Department, Pentagon, Capitol Hill, and the White House.
Gary left CBN briefly in 1988 to work as Senior Press Secretary for Pat Robertson’s presidential campaign. Afterward, he returned to Washington and served as Washington Bureau Chief for CBN News from 1989-1992.
Gary transferred to CBN headquarters in Virginia Beach in 1996, where he began more extensive international traveling and reporting as a Senior Correspondent.
In addition to his extensive reporting on Christian persecution, Gary is also known for his reporting on the civil war in Sudan. He made 20 trips to the country since 1993 and also testified before Congress about the plight of Burmese refugees.
Gary produced numerous documentaries, including Americans Abandoned for the American Defense Institute, which afforded him the opportunity to become the first American journalist granted access to the Vietnamese Defense and Cultural Film archives. The investigative film about American POWs featured Vietnam War footage never seen before by Americans.
Gary also produced several persecution documentaries, including one about Christians in Egypt for Freedom House—Their Blood Cries Out—and another about attacks in Indonesia for The Voice of the Martyrs—Island Jihad. He also worked as a production consultant and videographer for the VOM video specials Underground Reality Vietnam and Underground Reality Colombia.
Over the years, Gary covered wars in Lebanon, Israel, Nicaragua, Angola, Burma, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Colombia, Libya, and Syria. He won several awards, including one from the National Gulf War Resource Center for his groundbreaking investigative reporting of Gulf War Illness, an affliction affecting veterans of Operation Desert Storm. The Australian Evangelical Press Association gave him an award for his reporting of a church massacre that occurred in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, shortly after 9-11.
Gary left CBN in 2000 to join the Voice of The Martyrs as their News Director, where he directed the mission’s multimedia efforts. Those included the website, monthly newsletter, video productions, publications, press releases, and media interviews.
Gary rejoined CBN in late 2003 as International News Director/Senior Correspondent. He served as executive producer of three weekly international news programs: Christian World News (CWN); Mundo Cristiano, a Spanish version of CWN produced in Costa Rica; and an Arabic language version of CWN, CWN Arabic, which was broadcast throughout North Africa and the Middle East. He also hosted and produced the weekly CBN News Channel program, The Global Lane.
Prior to CBN, Gary worked for various local television stations in Michigan, including one owned by Time Inc. and another by Knight-Ridder. Before that, he worked at local radio stations in Flint and Detroit.
Gary is a 1979 honors graduate of The University of Michigan, Flint, where he served as political editor of The University News, studied pre-law, and received an A.B. in political science and history.
