Top Armed Forces Democrat: Trump has ‘become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran’

## Summary
Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, went after President Trump for a recent Truth Social post threatening that Iranian “civilization will die tonight,” referring to an 8 p.m. On Tuesday, Trump said on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” in a message posted close to 12 hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran to make a deal. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump continued in the post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” Many other Democrats on Tuesday also took to social media to criticize the president’s remarks, with many saying the threats are illegal. The White House earlier Tuesday called these responses and calls for impeachment “pathetic.” “Democrats have been talking about removing President Trump since before he was even sworn into office. Comments: Link copied More Defense News See All International Kuwait tells citizens to stay home as Trump’s Iran deadline looms by Max Rego 36 minutes ago International / 36 minutes ago Administration Retired general: Trump ‘an absolutely terrible commander in chief’ by Ryan Mancini 1 hour ago Administration / 1 hour ago Energy & Environment Why Kharg Island is a strategic focus as Iran war escalates by Max Rego 1 hour ago Energy & Environment / 1 hour ago International China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support by Sophie Brams 2 hours ago International / 2 hours ago See All Video/Hill.TV See all Hill.TV See all Video THE HILL TV Rising: April 7, 2026 by TheHill.com 04/07/26 12:25 PM ET THE HILL TV / 4 hours ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 6, 2026 by TheHill.com 1 day ago THE HILL TV / 1 day ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 3, 2026 by TheHill.com 4 days ago THE HILL TV / 4 days ago See all Hill.TV See all Video Top Stories See All International China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support by Sophie Brams 2 hours ago International / 2 hours ago See All Most Popular Spanberger drop in approval rating ‘stunning’: Sabato China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support Democrats call for Trump’s removal over threat against Iran Trump’s gone too far: Invoke the 25th Amendment before it’s too late Graham: Iran will suffer 'massive military attack' Tuesday night without ...

## Article Content
Defense
Top Armed Forces Democrat: Trump has ‘become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran’
Comments:
by
Tara Suter
- 04/07/26 3:37 PM ET
Comments:
Link copied
by
Tara Suter
- 04/07/26 3:37 PM ET
Comments:
Link copied
NOW PLAYING
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, went after President Trump for a recent Truth Social post
threatening that
Iranian “civilization will die tonight,” referring to an 8 p.m. EDT deadline the president gave.
“President Trump’s social media post goes beyond what any president should say or do.  Threatening to eliminate a civilization is comparable to genocide. That is illegal, immoral, and should not be in the vocabulary of an American president. The ominous sentiment he’s suggesting would be a criminal act,” Reed said in a Tuesday statement.
“I think the president’s behavior is setting back our chances of a peaceful ceasefire. Our allies are no longer just skeptical. They’re shocked and appalled. And they can’t tolerate even the suggestion, let alone the behavior, he’s talking about. And I think he’s not focused on realistically ending this conflict and he seems to have lost control. In fact, he’s become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran,” the Ocean State senator added later in his statement.
The U.S-Israeli conflict against Iran recently entered its second month, with Trump in recent
days making intense threats
against Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for the oil industry that has been effectively closed since the start of the fighting.
On Tuesday, Trump said on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” in a message posted close to 12 hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran to make a deal.
“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump continued in the post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”
Many other Democrats on Tuesday also took to social media to criticize the president’s remarks, with many saying the threats are illegal. Others have called for impeachment.
“The House must bring up impeachment articles, and the Senate needs to remove a president who wants to commit war crimes. We cannot sit idly by as Donald Trump threatens to end an entire civilization,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
said in a post
on the social platform X.
The White House earlier Tuesday called these responses and calls for impeachment “pathetic.”
“Democrats have been talking about removing President Trump since before he was even sworn into office. The Democrats in Congress are deranged, weak, and ineffective, which is why their approval ratings are at historic lows,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesperson on Tuesday
mocked Trump’s threat against Tehran, claiming his “civilized” country will defeat “brute force.”
“The power of a ‘CIVILIZED’ nation’s culture, logic, and faith in its righteous cause will undoubtedly prevail over the logic of brute force. A nation that has every faith in the righteousness of its path shall harness all its capacities and capabilities to safeguard its rights and legitimate interests,” Esmaeil Baqaei, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said on X in response to Trump’s comments.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
Emily Brooks contributed.
Add as preferred source on Google
Tags
Donald Trump
Ed Markey
Iran
Iran war
Jack Reed
Senate Armed Services Committee
Senate Democrats
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments:
Link copied
More Defense News
See All
International
Kuwait tells citizens to stay home as Trump’s Iran deadline looms
by
Max Rego
36 minutes ago
International
/
36 minutes ago
Administration
Retired general: Trump ‘an absolutely terrible commander in chief’
by
Ryan Mancini
1 hour ago
Administration
/
1 hour ago
Energy & Environment
Why Kharg Island is a strategic focus as Iran war escalates
by
Max Rego
1 hour ago
Energy & Environment
/
1 hour ago
International
China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support
by
Sophie Brams
2 hours ago
International
/
2 hours ago
See All
Video/Hill.TV
See all Hill.TV
See all Video
THE HILL TV
Rising: April 7, 2026
by TheHill.com
04/07/26 12:25 PM ET
THE HILL TV
/
4 hours ago
THE HILL TV
Rising: April 6, 2026
by TheHill.com
1 day ago
THE HILL TV
/
1 day ago
THE HILL TV
Rising: April 3, 2026
by TheHill.com
4 days ago
THE HILL TV
/
4 days ago
See all Hill.TV
See all Video
Top Stories
See All
International
China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support
by
Sophie Brams
2 hours ago
International
/
2 hours ago
See All
Most Popular
Spanberger drop in approval rating ‘stunning’: Sabato
China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hor

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- The U.S-Israeli conflict against Iran recently entered its second month, with Trump in recent days making intense threats against Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for the oil industry that has been effectively closed since the start of the fighting.

### Areas for Consideration
- An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday mocked Trump’s threat against Tehran, claiming his “civilized” country will defeat “brute force.” “The power of a ‘CIVILIZED’ nation’s culture, logic, and faith in its righteous cause will undoubtedly prevail over the logic of brute force.
- Comments: Link copied More Defense News See All International Kuwait tells citizens to stay home as Trump’s Iran deadline looms by Max Rego 36 minutes ago International / 36 minutes ago Administration Retired general: Trump ‘an absolutely terrible commander in chief’ by Ryan Mancini 1 hour ago Administration / 1 hour ago Energy & Environment Why Kharg Island is a strategic focus as Iran war escalates by Max Rego 1 hour ago Energy & Environment / 1 hour ago International China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support by Sophie Brams 2 hours ago International / 2 hours ago See All Video/Hill.TV See all Hill.TV See all Video THE HILL TV Rising: April 7, 2026 by TheHill.com 04/07/26 12:25 PM ET THE HILL TV / 4 hours ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 6, 2026 by TheHill.com 1 day ago THE HILL TV / 1 day ago THE HILL TV Rising: April 3, 2026 by TheHill.com 4 days ago THE HILL TV / 4 days ago See all Hill.TV See all Video Top Stories See All International China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support by Sophie Brams 2 hours ago International / 2 hours ago See All Most Popular Spanberger drop in approval rating ‘stunning’: Sabato China, Russia sink UN vote on Strait of Hormuz; 10 countries join US in support Democrats call for Trump’s removal over threat against Iran Trump’s gone too far: Invoke the 25th Amendment before it’s too late Graham: Iran will suffer 'massive military attack' Tuesday night without ...

### Implications
- Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, went after President Trump for a recent Truth Social post threatening that Iranian “civilization will die tonight,” referring to an 8 p.m.
- EDT deadline the president gave. “President Trump’s social media post goes beyond what any president should say or do.
- That is illegal, immoral, and should not be in the vocabulary of an American president.
- On Tuesday, Trump said on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” in a message posted close to 12 hours before Trump’s deadline for Iran to make a deal. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump continued in the post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” Many other Democrats on Tuesday also took to social media to criticize the president’s remarks, with many saying the threats are illegal.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers trump, ago, iran topics. Notable strengths include discussion of trump. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1012.