Trump’s Own Party is Getting Nervous on Iran
Author: Greg Valliere
June 20, 2025
PUBLIC OPINION HAS SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY on the issue of U.S. air and sea assaults against Iran.
POLLS SHOW the option of a U.S.- Israeli assault now trails by at least 20 points, with key members of both parties demanding more transparency and a full airing of the War Powers Act.
TRUMP HAS GROWING OPPOSITION in his own party, especially with hard-core MAGA conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson, who are fierce isolationists, like many Republicans.
VETERAN LAWMAKERS, like GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell and Tom Cotton favor U.S. strikes, but they are increasingly isolated. Most members of Congress question Trump’s assertion that he will wait for two weeks before deciding what to do — that’s two weeks for opponents — in Congress and Tehran — to gain more power.
ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, it’s the opposite — veteran lawmakers want to aid Israel, but the party’s young liberals want extensive hearings.
A DELAY would have some advantages — it could allow the U.S. to build up its Naval and Air Force presence in the region, and would give the U.S. time to add more mine-sweepers to the Persian Gulf (although shutting the Strait of Hormuz is viewed as unlikely).
BOTTOM LINE: Trump is in a bind. He wants to show his loyalty to Benjamin Netanyahu but even if there are only a handful of U.S., casualties there will be a fierce blow-back in his own party
IS THERE A MIDDLE GROUND? The U.S. could give Israel “bunker busting” bombs and then look the other way as Netanyahu blasts away at Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.
IS THERE REALLY a chance of regime change? That’s unlikely, because the U.S. could get bogged down — and Trump promised, during last fall’s election campaign, that he would never get bogged down in the Mideast.
The views expressed in this blog are provided as a general source of information based on information available as of the date of publication and should not be considered as personal investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy and/or sell securities. Speculation or stated believes about future events, such as market or economic conditions, company or security performance, or other projections represent the beliefs of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of AGF, its subsidiaries or any of its affiliated companies, funds or investment strategies. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in these commentaries at the time of publication; however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and AGF accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. Any financial projections are based on the opinions of the author and should not be considered as a forecast. The forward looking statements and opinions may be affected by changing economic circumstances and are subject to a number of uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward looking statements. The information contained in this commentary is designed to provide you with general information related to the political and economic environment in the United States. It is not intended to be comprehensive investment advice applicable to the circumstances of the individual.
AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). AGFA and AGFUS are registered advisors in the U.S. AGFI is a registered as a portfolio manager across Canadian securities commissions. AGFIA is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The subsidiaries that form AGF Investments manage a variety of mandates comprised of equity, fixed income and balanced assets.
About AGF Management Limited
Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.
AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.
For further information, please visit AGF.com.
©2025 AGF Management Limited. All rights reserved.
