Trump has testy meeting with GOP senators, telling Cassidy to sit down

President Trump's gathering with Republican senators connected Wednesday turned testy, and astatine 1 point, helium sternly told Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy to beryllium down, aft questions arose astir the War Powers Resolution, according to sources straight acquainted with the meeting.

Cassidy had been trying to respond to the president, telling the president helium should beryllium down — but Cassidy aboriginal relented, saying helium would beryllium seated, but not astatine Mr. Trump's behest. 

"He raised his voice. I mislaid my temper. That's not appropriate. It's the Irish successful me, but I again matched his code and his volume," Cassidy told reporters aft the meeting.

Earlier this year, Mr. Trump supported Rep. Julia Letlow successful the Louisiana Republican Senate primary. Cassidy did not beforehand to the runoff, apt ending his governmental career, a constituent Mr. Trump highlighted successful his remarks.

"I marque nary apologies for lasting up to the president," Cassidy said. "I americium sticking up for the American people, adjacent if I'm speaking to the president."

The more-than-hourlong gathering with Mr. Trump focused mostly connected the Iran war and the War Powers Resolution. On Tuesday, the Senate approved a Democrat-led solution to support the president from ordering further subject enactment successful Iran. Four Republicans voted successful favour of the concurrent resolution, which is symbolic and does not transportation the unit of law.

A root straight acquainted with the gathering told CBS News Mr. Trump expressed his discontent with Republicans, including Cassidy, who had worked with the Democrats connected the resolution. 

The president besides shared his disdain for Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski. "It was precise awkward erstwhile she walked successful close aft helium said that," the root said.

Murkowski arrived astatine the gathering late, telling reporters that she had a antecedently scheduled event. 

Leaving the lunch, GOP senators described a "lively" and "spirited" meeting. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama told reporters the code was "half-time talk." Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said the president talked astir being undermined by the Republicans who supported the Iran solution and "expressed immoderate disappointment."

"He wasn't arsenic upset arsenic I astir apt would person been astir it," Cramer said. 

"I deliberation we had a truly large meeting. We're precise arrogant of the party. We similar [Majority Leader John Thune]," Mr. Trump said. "We similar everybody truly successful the room. I don't similar a fewer people, but that's okay. I deliberation you cognize who they are."

Shortly earlier arriving connected Capitol Hill, the president abruptly canceled plans to motion a bipartisan lodging bill. Mr. Trump wrote connected societal media that helium would lone motion it erstwhile Congress passed the SAVE America Act, a favored task of the president which, among different provisions, would necessitate voters to amusement impervious of citizenship erstwhile they register. Senate GOP leaders person repeatedly said the measure does not person capable enactment successful the precocious enclosure to pass. 

The president told senators that Republicans indispensable triumph successful November, and request Republican voters to amusement up. Without passing the Save America Act, the president said, they won't amusement up. 

The president suggested eliminating the filibuster successful bid to walk it, which would little the threshold for transition from 60 votes to a elemental majority. Republican Senate enactment has truthful acold resisted Mr. Trump's entreaties to bash distant with the filibuster, and doing truthful would not warrant its passage, since a fistful of Senate Republicans successful the slim GOP bulk stay opposed. 

A root acquainted with the gathering said Mr. Trump's parting connection arsenic helium near was that the SAVE America Act has to get done.

"The president closed by preaching unity," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who besides mislaid his Republican superior to a Trump-backed candidate. "But helium spent the anterior hr talking astir things which were not precisely unifying."

Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.