WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Friday that President Donald Trump is sending “up to another 10,000 troops” to the Iran conflict, after a newspaper report of a third carrier that the Pentagon has not confirmed.
Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, posted the line on X on Oct. 2. He linked a Wall Street Journal story from Oct. 1. He wrote that the president “continues to hide service member casualties,” called the conflict “his illegal war of choice,” and said, “When Trump says he’s planning on renewing his war next month, believe him. Congress must cut off funding.”
The President, who continues to hide service member casualties, is now sending up to another 10,000 troops to his illegal war of choice in Iran. When Trump says he’s planning on renewing his war next month, believe him. Congress must cut off funding.
The Journal, citing U.S. officials, said the department is sending a third carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit, adding 9,000 to 10,000 troops, with arrival by the end of November. It said the USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on Sunday and the USS Makin Island group, with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, left Monday. It said the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are already in the region, and that a third carrier would be the first since April if the Washington stays. It said spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not comment. Van Hollen’s “up to another 10,000” is that range. It is not a department release.
Navy pages do not carry that order. A Pacific Fleet photo shows the Roosevelt leaving North Island on June 15 for exercises in the 3rd Fleet. A NAVAIR note dated Oct. 1 says the ship was preparing for deployment. A Pacific Fleet caption from Aug. 23 puts the Makin Island and the 13th MEU underway in the 3rd Fleet for routine operations. None of those pages names the Middle East, a troop add, or a November arrival.
The “next month” line is also the Journal’s. It said Trump told aides he expects to resume bombing in November, and pointed to a Time interview published Thursday. In that interview, conducted Sept. 28, he said, “By annihilating Iran, we’ve created peace in the world,” and, asked if he would do that, “Yeah, I would do that. It’s possible.” The transcript is the magazine’s. It is not a White House release, and the posted excerpts do not set a November date.
“Hide service member casualties” is his. The Defense Casualty Analysis System’s overseas summary, as of Sept. 29, lists Operation Epic Fury as seven hostile deaths, seven non-hostile deaths, and 418 wounded in action. The database is public. Whether it is complete is a separate argument. The post does not name a death it says was omitted.
“Illegal war of choice” is his legal conclusion. The operation the administration dates to Feb. 28 has not been authorized by a declaration of war. The Senate rejected a war-powers measure 49–50 on Sept. 24. Cutting off funding would require an appropriations vote Congress has not taken. A scheduled Pacific deployment and an order to resume bombing are different acts. The department has not published the second. “Believe him” and “must cut off funding” are the senator’s.