House Democrats left a Tuesday night briefing on Iran expressing even greater frustration towards the Trump administration than they had going in, with several lawmakers describing it as "bullsh*t." Why it matters: Democrats are full steam ahead on forcing a vote this week on a resolution that would constrain Trump from unilaterally waging war with Iran. - Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), one of House Democrats' most vulnerable battleground-district members, said his thinking was "not at all" changed by the briefing and that he will be "supporting our resolution." - 'They're coming in and bullsh*ting us just like ... they did with Venezuela," said Rep. Dave Min (D-Calif.), another swing-district Democrat. - Even Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.),…
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday went to bat for his members who protested and heckled President Trump from inside the House chamber during the State of the Union. Why it matters: It's a marked departure from last year, when Jeffries privately chewed out the House Democrats who disrupted Trump's speech to Congress, held up signs and walked out in protest. - One big difference is that, this time, there has been minimal internal fallout among House Democrats towards the disruptions, multiple lawmakers told Axios. - The heckling was "not what people wanted, but nobody is pissed or even surprised," one House Democrat told Axios. What they're saying: "I thought the Democratic response was appropriately restrained…
Almost from the moment Trump entered the House chamber Tuesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, Democrats began to disrupt. It only deteriorated from there. Why it matters: It's the new normal for presidential speeches to Congress, with Republicans heckling Democratic presidents and vice versa. - Tuesday's disruptions came despite House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) repeatedly telling his members behind closed doors not to repeat the widespread disruptions that Trump faced last year. - Ahead of the speech, Jeffries sternly dismissed Axios' reporting that protests were still likely to occur despite his instructions to the contrary. - A Jeffries spokesperson did not immediately respond on Tuesday night to a…