In a social media post, Moran, an East Texas Republican, said Trump’s message “is not consistent with the principles that have long guided America.”
“How we protect the lives of the innocent is just as important as how we engage the enemy,” he wrote. “Our nation has always conducted military operations for just causes and through just and moral means. This must continue in the future; otherwise we forfeit our legitimacy to lead the world.”
Moran’s statement comes amid increasing tension among Republicans in Congress about the war in Iran.
“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,” she wrote.
Also, U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California independent who votes with Republicans, wrote on X: “The United States does not destroy civilizations. Nor do we threaten to do so as some sort of negotiating tactic.”
Otherwise, Republicans on Capitol Hill were largely quiet about Trump’s threats on Tuesday, as Democrats called on Congress to stop the president from escalating the war.
Moran had earlier supported Trump’s military strikes in Iran. In his post Tuesday, he said he did so because he believed they were consistent with presidential authority under the Construction and with “the ultimate goal of protecting national security interests.”
“What sets America apart is not only our strength, but how we use it,” he said.