Many congressional Democrats call Trump's threats to blow up Iran 'unhinged'
Multiple congressional Democrats are calling President Donald Trump "out of control" and "unhinged" after he issued a profanity-laden threat to Iran on Easter Sunday -- suggesting that on Tuesday he will target bridges and power plants in Iran if they don't open up the critical Strait of Hormuz.
His threats to strike Iran's bridges and power plants have led several Democrats to suggest that Trump could be committing war crimes as hitting those targets could result in civilian casualties. It comes after the president told ABC News' Rachel Scott that if Iran doesn't strike a peace deal, including opening up the strait, "we're blowing up the whole country."
"GOP leaders need to stop him. Never mind that blowing up bridges and power plants and killing innocent Iranians won't reopen the Strait. It's also a clear war crime," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy wrote in a post on X.
"The current regime won't open the Strait, so he is going to murder innocent people to induce a national panic? WTF," Murphy wrote on X. "Trump is out of control."
On Sunday morning, Trump posted on his social media channel that "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!"
"Open the F----- Strait, you crazy b-------, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" the president continued.
Asked on Monday if he is worried attacking civilian infrastructure would break international law, Trump said "No, no I'm not."
Earlier this year, amid an investigation into a U.S. military strike in an area where an elementary school was hit and dozens of children were killed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "we, of course, never target civilian targets."
Later on Sunday, he told ABC News' Scott that there would be military action if there's no deal in 48 hours.
"If happens, it happens. And if it doesn't, we're blowing up the whole country. We're blowing up, as I said, it's going to be bridge day and it's going to be power plant day in the country of Iran," Trump said.
Also, on Saturday, Trump issued a threat to Iran -- saying they needed to open the Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours or "Hell will reign down on them" -- a deadline of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, criticized Trump's comments.
"Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media," Schumer wrote in a social media post. "He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better."
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said that Trump’s "ravings" are "dangerous."
"Congress has got to act NOW. End this war," Sanders wrote in a social media post Sunday.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday called for the end to the war while criticizing Trump’s post.
"To have a tweet this morning cursing out and threatening war crimes, to be saying that we’ve destroyed the ballistic missile capacity of Iran and yet having troops flying over that are being shot at. We need to end this war now. We need an immediate ceasefire. Iran, Israel, and the United States need to stop bombing and have a negotiated settlement," Khanna said.
Khanna later added, "let me tell you what won’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz: threatening war crimes or bombing indiscriminately power plants, cursing at Iran."
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday pushed for Trump to be "removed from office" over his social media post.
Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari, in a social media post on Sunday, called the president "deranged," mentioning the 25th Amendment -- a potential vehicle for removing the president from office -- "exists for a reason."
ABC News has reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for comment.
Asked by a reporter Monday afternoon about what he would say to people who criticized his social media post, Trump responded: "I don't care about critics."
The reporter followed up, asking Trump for a response to critics who say his mental health should be examined amid the Iran war, Trump said he hadn't "heard that."
"But if that's the case, you're going to have to have more people like me," Trump responded.
Earlier Monday, Trump said he used vulgar language in his social media post about Iran "only to make my point."
Asked by ABC News’ Scott about targeting civilian infrastructure, Trump said civilians "want me to do it."
“The civilians, you know, when they're most unhappy, when they don't hear bombs going off because they're living in hell," the president said.
The Iranian government responded to Trump’s threat of "blowing up the whole country" if the regime fails to open up the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.
"Iran's reaction would be one of reciprocating any such attack," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said in a statement on Sunday afternoon. "Our armed forces have made it clear that in case Iran's infrastructure is attacked, we would react in kind."
Baghaei said that if the United States carries out Trump's threat, Iranian forces would "target similar infrastructure that is owned or in any way or manner related to the United States or contributes to their act of aggression against Iran."
United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN was "alarmed" by Trump's post.
"We were alarmed by the rhetoric seen in that social media post that threatened American attacks on power plants, bridges and other infrastructure should Iran not agree to a deal," Dujarric said Monday. "The Secretary-General has been very clear on issues regarding international law, and he urges yet again all parties to abide by their obligations regarding the conduct of these hostilities. And he recalls that civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, may not be attacked."
