'Congress right now is weak.' Harris calls for end of Iran escalation

Rome, Ga. — At a small community garden in South Rome, Georgia on Tuesday, a group of supporters for Democratic House candidate Shawn Harris gathered with signs.

They were just a block away from Lovejoy Baptist Church, a polling location for the special election runoff in Georgia's 14th congressional district. Voters trickled into the church hall all morning in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Rome.

The supporters were joined by the candidate himself, as Harris addressed the group and thanked them for their continuing support of his campaign. Harris ran against Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2024, and had already announced his intent to run again in the 2026 midterms when Greene resigned her position in January.

Harris shared memories of eating collared greens at the community center next to the garden and learning how to dance with his wife. He said he could have been anywhere in the massive, 10-country district, but this neighborhood was where he wanted to connect with the Black community on election day.

The group walked together to the church, one section splitting off to go inside and vote and the rest of the group heading to a parking lot across the street, where Harris was legally allowed to stand and speak with media outlets.

Here is what he said about the war in Iran.

'Congress right now is weak'

The war in Iran has been escalated over the past 48 hours, after President Trump shared a post on Truth Social saying a "whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran failed to agree to negotiations before 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

"I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote.

The message sparked panic from both sides of the political spectrum, including groups like the NAACP and former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (whom Harris is hoping to replace) who called for the invocation of the 25th amendment, an action that would deem the president unfit for office.

When asked whether he thought this was a possible action Congress could take, Harris said "I think Congress right now is weak."

"I think Democrats are weak up there, and I think Republicans are weak. I know it's bad to say, but that's why people need to vote for me and send me up there, because sometimes leaders need to be able to have another leader they can stand behind and say, 'Wait a minute, Shawn Harris is standing up for all the people of the United States,'" he said. "Congress has allowed us to get into this war."

Trump's rhetoric is 'dangerous' — whether an attack happens or not

Harris said Trump's remarks were "unbelievable" and "dangerous." Before becoming a cattle farmer in northwest Georgia, Harris served in the military for 40 years, retiring as a Brigadier General.

"When the President speaks, he's not only speaking for the American people, he's speaking for the free world. And when you make statements like that, even if we don't follow through, the enemy will use that as propaganda against the rest of the free world for many, many years to come," Harris said.

He said this was a "war of choice" and has "gotten completely out of control" since the beginning of the operation more than a month ago.

"I used to be part of (CENTCOM, U.S. Central Command), I know those individuals who are doing the job. However, because the President has not come out yet, even though he did a press conference the other day, he has not really told American people why we're in the war," Harris said.

Harris continued by explaining that even if the United States "win" the war militarily, the country could still "lose this war politically."

"Here in northwest Georgia, people are concerned because they got sons and daughters in the military, and the last thing they want is another forever war," Harris said.

Irene Wright covers politics in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].