Congressman Jim McGovern was one of dozens of residents to rally at Worcester City Hall on Tuesday, April 8, as part of an emergency protest organized by Indivisible Worcester to oppose potential U.S. military escalation in Iran and call for urgent congressional intervention.
“I know my office has been inundated with phone calls about this issue like never before,” Rep. McGovern told the crowd. “If this cabinet had a half an ounce of integrity they would invoke the 25th Amendment and take the nuclear code away from this psychopathic lunatic before he hurts any more innocent people.”
Rep. McGovern was one of a number of lawmakers who condemned comments by the president made Tuesday morning on Truth Social, which read:
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
On WBUR’s Morning Edition, McGovern heavily criticized the statement and accused the president of “saying things that make him sound like a madman.”
In support of the Congressman’s criticism, several local residents organized the rally on Tuesday to demand de-escalation, raise alarm over the president’s rhetoric, and pressure Congress to assert its authority over war powers.
During the rally, McGovern also urged immediate congressional action regarding the war in Iran, calling on lawmakers to return to Washington and address the situation directly.
“I’ve called on the speaker of the House to call Congress back in session,” said McGovern. “We should be back in Washington. We should be debating this, and we should vote to cut off all funds for this war.”
Corry Root, a board member of Indivisible Worcester and one of the event’s organizers, explained the urgency behind the gathering.
“We organized this because the shameful leader of our country has threatened genocide in Iran and that all the people need to understand what an existential crisis that is,” Root said. “We need to come together and be organized and ready to face this moment.”
President Trump has since announced a two-week ceasefire for military action in the region.
An additional protest at Worcester City Hall takes place Wednesday, April 8, at 6 PM. This event is part of a national day of action organized locally by Worcester Indivisible, Massachusetts Peace Action, and others.
