April 08, 2026 09:31 AM UTC

The "Middle East Madman" Gets His Way, For Now

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• by: Colorado Pols

Politico reports on the fallout–rhetorical, thankfully–from the last few days of escalating threats from Donald Trump against Iran that turned genocidal with a promise to wipe out Iran’s “entire civilization,” only to de-escalate yesterday evening with the announcement of a two-week ceasefire to negotiate terms that appear on balance pretty favorable to Iran:

A world impatient for a come-down from President Donald Trump’s apocalyptic bluster breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday as the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, tempered with worry that the deal could bring new risks.

“Better TACO Tuesday than World War III,” [Pols emphasis] said one European official, nodding to Trump backing off his threats to wipe out Iran’s civilization if it didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, hoped the pause could allow for an eventual negotiated end to the war.

Before the announcement of the ceasefire yesterday evening, Every Colorado Republican was dead silent on Trump’s threats against Iranian civilians, with the sole exception of Rep. Jeff Hurd, who Denver7 reports issued a barely comprehensible bread sandwich of a statement:

Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorado’s Western Slope, was so far the only Colorado Republican to speak up following the president’s threats earlier Tuesday.

In a statement obtained by Denver7, Hurd spoke about the Iran regime and its status as a state sponsor of terrorism as he argued the U.S. must remain vigilant to defend the country’s interests against a nuclear-armed Iran.

“At the same time, actions of this magnitude carry real consequences. The use of American power demands clarity of purpose, discipline, and a defined objective. Congress must also be informed and engaged consistent with its responsibilities under Article I of the Constitution,” Hurd said, adding his focus remains on the safety of U.S. service members, the security of the country’s allies, and ensuring “any action taken advances long-term stability.”

Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans have not yet answered Denver7’s requests for comment on the president’s threats.

There were plenty of Republicans who were willing to call out Trump’s threats to commit a genocidal atrocity yesterday, like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski:

The President’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.

This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years. It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home.

The oppressive, terror-spreading regime of the Islamic Republic must be distinguished from the people and the civilization of Iran. Everyone involved—especially the President and Iran’s leaders—must de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late.

But having just maneuvered himself back into Trump’s good graces after being un-endorsed, don’t hold your breath for anything close to the principled if inconsistent dissent against Trump that characterized Hurd’s first year in office. That Jeff Hurd has been taught his lesson. As for the other three Colorado Republicans, even Lauren Boebert who vowed to oppose Trump’s request for hundreds of billions of dollars to pay for the war in Iran, we expect them all to fall in line celebrating the Dear Leader’s brinksmanship.

The rest of us are left to figure out what actually comes next. With domestic public opinion strongly against the war and Iran’s refusal to knuckle under like Venezuela did denying Trump the quick victory he expected despite all the warnings he received to the contrary, Trump has been looking for a face-saving way out of this conflict ever since it became clear that the initial goal of regime change would not be achieved. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be doing his best to thwart the ceasefire by pressing the assault on Lebanon.

Much like the weather in Colorado, there’s no way to take a snapshot of the situation today and predict what will happen tomorrow. Trump’s escalating threats against Iranian civilians and civilian infrastructure, consistent with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s vow to give Iranian forces “no quarter,” outraged and alarmed basically everyone across the globe who understands what these threats mean in terms of international law. Even if the fighting does come to an end, Americans still must assess the stated goals of this conflict, whether they were achieved, and whether the economic disruption and the Americans who died were worth the result.

And that appears to be the best-case scenario. We’d prefer not to speculate about the worst.