Tennessee Republican Rep. John Rose stated Monday that the party’s base has made it clear they expect GOP lawmakers to strongly support President Donald Trump.
Rose said voters have demonstrated a desire for Republicans to stand firmly behind Trump’s “America First” agenda, particularly as the president addresses international threats and works to repair the economy following the Biden administration.
“I think you do see a result, consequences if you will, of not sticking with the president,” Rose said.
The Tennessee Republican emphasized that Trump’s political comeback after years of investigations and attacks from Democrats has shown voters rejected “weaponization” of government against the president. He noted some Republicans have fallen victim to this trend and are now seeing the consequences.
Rose defended Trump’s hard-line approach toward Iran, calling the current standoff a “serious moment.” He argued that the president acted decisively to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, stating: “We could not allow the Iranians to gain access to nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them broadly around the world.”
He added that Iran has repeatedly shown it cannot be trusted in negotiations.
On economic matters, Rose criticized the Federal Reserve under former Chair Jerome Powell for responding too slowly to inflation he attributed to Biden-era spending policies. Powell was replaced by Trump’s pick, Kevin Warsh. Rose argued Americans are still suffering from an affordability crisis fueled by soaring prices during the Biden administration.
“The affordability crisis that Democrats like to talk about was a fire they set and that President Trump has put out and is trying to fully contain,” Rose said.
Rose also blasted Democrats for moving further left politically, citing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York as examples of the shift toward a progressive mindset he claimed was out of touch with what Tennesseans hold dear.
Rose is currently running for governor of Tennessee.
