Senator draws criticism over post on Iran-linked ships bypassing US blockade
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy faced criticism on Tuesday after posting a one-word response to a report claiming 26 ships linked to Iran had made it past a US blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
“Awesome,” Murphy wrote on X in response to the post, prompting backlash from Trump allies and conservative commentators who said he was applauding Iran.
Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs, rejected the original report Murphy had responded to and criticized the senator’s comment.
“First of all this is false,” Parnell wrote. “Second, a Dem senator cheering on the number one state sponsor of terror is shameful.”
The Trump War Room account accused Murphy of rooting against the US military, while Mike Davis, founder of the conservative Article III Project, called for the Senate to censure him.
Murphy later said the post had been sarcastic and was aimed at President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict.
“Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome’,” Murphy wrote.
“My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm’,” he added.
Murphy has been a frequent Democratic critic of Trump’s foreign policy, including his approach toward Iran.
