FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
April 7, 2026
Contact: Levi Teitel, levi@progressmichigan.org
Will Republicans Stand Up to Trump’s Threat of Genocide in Iran?
MICHIGAN – Donald Trump said that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as the White House and Pentagon carry out a deeply unpopular war that is killing civilians and causing consumer goods and energy costs to skyrocket.
Michiganders’ anger towards the war is now shared even by members of the Republican Party, revealing stark divides caused by the president’s foreign policy agenda. While MAGA state Senator Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) posted today that he is proud to stand with the president, state Rep. Brad Paquette (R-Niles) posted, “Threatening to wipe out an entire civilization is wrong and anyone with a conscience should say it out loud.” Additionally, Chris Long, the grassroots vice chair of the Michigan Republican Party, piled onto the inflammatory and violent statements, posting, “Flatten them, turn them to glass.”
In response to this rhetoric, Justin Mendoza, executive director of Progress Michigan issued the following statement:
“Trump is costing U.S. taxpayers a billion dollars a day as long as this war continues, and he is showing no sign of restraint. He promised no new wars and lower gas prices, yet the Trump administration is doing the complete opposite. Trump himself has said that America can’t afford daycare or Medicaid, but is proposing a $1.5 trillion budget for the Pentagon.
“While families across the country struggle to afford basic needs like groceries, our lawmakers should be focused on lowering costs and ensuring working people have the resources they need to get by. We’re glad to see some Republicans like Rep. Paquette reject this escalating violent rhetoric—and any other lawmaker who has a conscience ought to follow suit. ”
###