Before President Donald Trump paused his threat to cause the death of Iranian civilization, two hours before his self-imposed April 7 deadline for Iranian leaders to capitulate, incumbent U.S. officeholders and federal candidates from each of Montana’s political parties provided a variety of resp onses to the president’s threat. Republican incumbents lined up firmly behind the president. “Senator Sheehy supports President Trump’s decisive action to bring an end to the terrorist Iranian regime that has brutally kidnapped, tortured, and killed countless Americans for nearly 50 years,” a spokesperson for Montana’s first-term Republican senator said Tuesday afternoon. Similarly, Sen. Steve Daines spokesperson Gabby Wiggins said Montana’s senior senator was backing Trump.   “The Iranian regime is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. It has killed hundreds of Americans and refers to the United States as ‘The Great Satan.’ Senator Daines supports President Trump’s action to end the threat the Iranian regime poses to the United States and the rest of the world,” Wiggins told Montana Free Press. But some Democratic and Libertarian candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives likened the nation’s last 48 hours — during which Trump demanded that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz or face “complete demolition” — to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, which brought the United States to the brink of nuclear war with Russia. It is past time for Congress to intervene, Democratic candidates said.  Democratic Senate candidate and Air Force veteran Alani Bankhead criticized the Senate for its silence on the sidelines of an escalating war.  “I think the clear line here is that he’s exhibiting irrational behavior, and you can see that with his posts on Easter Sunday. He’s had a strong recent history of kind of irrational, unpresidential statements that make people question his mental abilities,” Bankhead said. “We’re talking about someone who has the ability to push the button on the [nuclear] football.” Bankhead said that Trump’s mental fitness should be assessed, and that impeachment should be an option. Libertarian Senate candidate Tom Jandron said Congress should be voting on whether to authorize the continuation of military action in Iran. The War Powers Act requires that military action be put to a congressional vote within 60 days of its initiation, and that troops be sent home within 30 days after the vote unless Congress approves more military action. The U.S. initially attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and more than 50,000 American troops are currently deployed in the Middle East in support of Trump’s Operation Epic Fury. “You have Congress members who have been Trump supporters who are like, ‘what are we doing here? This needs to stop,’” Jandron said. “What are these absolutely mad tweets coming out on Easter Day when he’s calling for the annihilation of a civilization? It just really makes you wonder what is going on.” Navy veteran Russell Cleveland, one of four Democrats running for Montana’s western district U.S. House seat said in a Tuesday press release that it is time for Trump’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which outlines steps for presidential succession in the case of death or incapacity.  “The threat to ‘end a civilization’ through mass bombing by President Donald Trump gives me great concern that he has his finger on the nuclear button,” Cleveland said. “Under no circumstances should a person exhibiting this behavior and using this language be in a position to determine how best to use America’s military might.” MTFP sought comment from Montana U.S. Reps. Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, both Republicans, but did not receive responses by publication deadline. There are 27 candidates for Montana’s U.S. House and Senate seats in 2026. MTFP was unable to contact all of them for this article on deadline.   The post Trump’s Iran threats divide Montana officeholders and candidates appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less