While Rep. Greg Landsman has been known to oppose various Trump administration policies, the most recent decision to launch attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran is one he favors.
The Democrat of Ohio’s 1st Congressional District sat down with members of the media on June 22 to discuss current controversial unrest in the Middle East and what it may mean for the political future of millions of Americans.
Perspectives have varied among Cincinnati-area members of Congress and statewide elected leaders, with some praising the action and others expressing concern over the lack of Congressional approval.
Leaders like Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, both Republicans, question whether President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites was in fact constitutional.
Landsman, however, has uncharacteristically justified these administrative actions, joining other officials like U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus.
“This is not a war,” Landsman said during the press conference. “This is an attempt to end this chaos to bring about peace and to avoid what would be a catastrophic event.”
In the future, Landsman hopes to see bipartisan support on this issue from both sides of the government.
“We have got to get Republicans and Democrats working together on this,” Landsman said. “I grew up in a time when there was a saying that politics end at the water’s edge.”
Greg Landsman’s political leanings
Landsman won reelection in 2024 by nine percentage points in the Democratic-leaning 1st Congressional District that also has a sizable Republican population. The district covers all of the heavily Democratic Cincinnati and eastern Hamilton County suburbs but also includes the Republican stronghold of Warren County.
In a “Vote Studies” report by political news site Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, Landsman stood out in his first year as congressman in 2023.
Landsman voted with Republicans more often than most in his party, CQ Roll Call found. In his first year in Congress in 2023, he broke ranks with the Democrats 6.9% of the time on “party unity votes.” That’s good for 20th place among Democratic House members on Roll Call’s list of members who broke ranks most often.
In one instance, Landsman, along with nine other Democrats and 209 Republicans, voted to censure President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and top cabinet officials last year for the administration’s handling of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Enquirer reporter Scott Wartman contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘This is not a war’: Ohio Congressman Greg Landsman backs Trump after Iran bombings
Reporting by Hailey Roden, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
