In remarks on the Capitol steps Wednesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback challenged President Donald Trump to make a clear case to the American people for U.S. involvement in a war with Iran.
James Fishback, who is running for the Republican nomination in the Florida governor’s race, argued that the Trump administration has not laid out the case for war and has been inconsistent on U.S. objectives in Iran.
“The goalposts have already moved several times in the wrong direction,” Fishback stated.
Fishback’s remarks come as more on the right have spoken up opposing the strikes in Iran, most recently as the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned Tuesday, saying, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”
“This looks to be the beginning of a forever war,” Fishback said.
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Fishback made his position clear, calling the war “reckless” and presenting the debate as one of “good versus evil.”
“My challenge to President Trump today, as a supporter of his, as a proud voter of his, is to come back to this building,” he said, indicating the Capitol. “Come back to this building this week. Call a joint address of Congress. and tell us why we are at war. Share the intelligence, share the objectives, and share, most importantly, what victory looks like.”
The candidate added that he and most Americans will be happy to reconsider their opposition if that case is convincing.
“If there is actual evidence that suggests that Iran was about to imminently strike the United States and kill American citizens, then I will be happy to change my mind,” he said. “I’m sure many Americans at home who are frustrated by this war, if they saw the evidence, would be happy to do that.”
When asked about previous comments opposing the deployment of the Florida National Guard to foreign conflicts without congressional approval, Fishback told The Daily Caller News Foundation that he holds the same position.
“My hope is by next January, when I’m sworn in, that this war is over and that I don’t have to get into a large fight with the federal government about this conflict,” he added.
Fishback’s campaign livestreamed the event across multiple platforms, including X and Instagram.
In November 2025 Fishback launched his campaign to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. As a 31-year-old former CEO of an investment firm, Fishback entered the race with no political experience, and his campaign has focused on appealing to younger conservatives.
Fishback has faced criticism from the right over some campaign issues that proved controversial, such as a “Sin Tax” on OnlyFans content creators and eliminating property taxes for Florida residents, a policy that he doubled down on today.
“If your home is less than $2 million, you are going to pay nothing in property taxes.” Fishback told the DCNF.
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