House Republicans on Thursday abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after it became clear they lacked the votes to defeat the measure. The retreat was a striking setback that exposed fractures within the G.O.P. over the conflict at a moment when the party has begun pushing back forcefully on Trump and his agenda. It also marked the latest embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson, who has toiled to defeat efforts to challenge or limit the war in line with the president's wishes, but is contending with growing wariness within his party as the midterm elections approach and the realities of his minuscule majority.
US President Donald Trump has humorously addressed the challenge of attending his son's upcoming wedding ceremony amid the escalating Iran crisis. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday during an announcement on rolling back Biden-era refrigerant regulations, Trump said his son wanted him to be present at the ceremony, but the conflict with Iran and other pressing matters could make it difficult. 'He'd like me to go, but it's going to be just a small little private affair, and I'm going to try and make it,' Trump said. 'I said, 'This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.' The wedding in question is that of his son Donald Trump Jr., who serves as executive vice president of The Trump Organization and is often seen at his father's side. Trump told reporters Thursday, 'That's one I can't win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed — by the fake news of course.' The remark drew immediate attention online, blending humor with a pointed jab at the press while underlining just how consuming the Iran situation has become for the White House.
The joke comes amid Trump's most severe public warning to Iran regarding nuclear weapons. As reported by RT, Trump issued a statement on the same day that the United States would either ensure Tehran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, or be forced to take 'something very drastic.' Nuclear negotiations between the two countries remain in disputed territory, with Iranian officials denying that any meaningful progress has been made while back-channel diplomatic activity reportedly continues. For now, whether the leader of the free world makes it to his son's wedding remains — by his own telling — an open question, held hostage to geopolitics and the twenty-four-hour news cycle.
The wedding ceremony is scheduled for Saturday over Memorial Day weekend on a private island in the Bahamas, according to Page Six. An insider told the outlet that the couple had been hoping for a White House wedding, but decided on a smaller event as the war in Iran continues. The bride-to-be is Bettina Anderson, whom Trump revealed he has known for a long time and hopes they have a great marriage. Don Jr. was engaged to Anderson in December at Camp David after the pair started dating in 2024, shortly after Don Jr.'s engagement to current U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle ended. The wedding news comes as Don Jr.'s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, shared on Wednesday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, writing on Instagram that doctors performed a procedure earlier this week and thanked her family and medical team for supporting her.
