Mark Kelly: Trump 'flailing' in Iran war, needs to find exit

In a sharply worded interview on Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona accused the Trump administration of "flailing" in its conflict with Iran and urged the president to find a way out of a war that began more than five months ago. Speaking on CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Kelly did not mince words: "They're stuck, they're responsible for this, and the president is the one that has to try to figure out a way out of this."

A Conflict Without a Strategy

Kelly, a former Navy captain and astronaut who sits on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said the administration entered the war "without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline." He suggested that President Trump's approach to negotiations has been counterproductive, pointing to the involvement of personal associates rather than seasoned diplomats.

"I would suggest to him, though, that the solution is not to do the same thing that he's been doing — not to have his real estate buddy and his son-in-law in charge of a negotiation," Kelly said. He called for experienced negotiators who "know how to talk to the Iranians" and for rebuilding alliances with traditional partners. "Put a coalition together, bring our allies back together," he added.

A Fragile Peace Effort

The senator's remarks came hours after President Trump announced Saturday night that he was canceling a pending military strike on Iran and indicated that a rough framework of a peace deal had been reached. The move followed weeks of escalation after the collapse of a ceasefire last month. According to a regional official involved in mediation, the president's proposal involves a return to negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

The war, which began on Feb. 28, has proven unpopular with the American public, according to CBS News polling. When asked which party has a better approach to Iran, 32% chose Trump and the GOP, while 30% sided with Democrats — a narrow difference reflecting widespread unease.

Pentagon Spending Under Fire

Kelly also trained his sights on the administration's hefty defense budget requests, which include a $67 billion supplemental and a broader $1.5 trillion proposal for fiscal year 2027. He reminded viewers that last year's defense budget was "sold to us as a one-time generational investment in the department." Instead, he argued, "they squandered that."

"Now they're coming and they're asking for 1.5 trillion, plus a supplemental. We're approaching the amount of money that every other country on the planet spends on defense in a year," Kelly said. "This is irresponsible, and now they want a blank check."

The senator emphasized that he would "make sure the troops have what they need to defend themselves and defend the United States," but he pressed the Pentagon to pursue a more "reasonable approach" to procurement. He singled out space-based interceptors included in the budget request, noting that "the physics on this is really very, very challenging" and that the system "is not going to make us safer." He argued there are "other systems that we don't need."

Looking Ahead

Kelly's critique reflects growing unease among Democrats over both the conduct of the war and the fiscal trajectory of defense spending. With Trump now signaling a potential diplomatic opening, the coming weeks will test whether his administration can pivot from a conflict that many Americans view as aimless. Kelly made clear that accountability is essential: "They need to understand that we do not have unlimited resources in this country."

The president's next moves — both on Iran and on budget negotiations — will determine whether his peace overture gains traction or becomes another chapter in a volatile standoff.