Shadowing Practice: Donald Trump hits back at ‘unpatriotic' vote after House rebukes him over Iran | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The U.S.
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The U.S.
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House of Representatives has passed a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S forces from around Iran
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or win approval from Congress to continue the war.
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In a sign of growing discontent over the military campaign in the Middle East,
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four Republicans sided with Democrats in the vote.
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The president has previously dismissed as unconstitutional any effort to limit his war powers.
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And Mr. Trump has posted on his Truth Social platform calling out the Republicans who back the resolution,
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describing them as grandstanders and saying they should be ashamed of themselves.
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Well, shortly before that House resolution,
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Mr. Trump downplayed recent Iranian attacks on U.S bases in Kuwait
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and other Gulf states and insisted a deal could still be finalized as early as this weekend.
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But the Iranian foreign minister,
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Abbas al-Raghjih, says no tangible progress has been made.
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Our correspondent Tom Simons gave us this update from Washington.
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Well, this is likely to be a symbolic vote by the House of Representatives.
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What's happened is
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that four Republicans have voted in favor of this resolution to tell Donald Trump to stop the war in Iran.
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Now, the problem is that this is not the sort of resolution that is legally binding.
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And it has to go to the Senate.
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And there, of course, it might be defeated by the rest of the Republican Party in the Senate.
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If it was a legally binding agreement or resolution,
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it would have to go to the president.
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And, of course, he would veto it.
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And then it would go back to both houses of Congress and they would get a chance to vote again.
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And if they voted two-thirds by majority,
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then they could overturn the veto.
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But none of that is going to happen because this is not that sort of congressional resolution.
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The other thing to say is that the White House has always said that it is not involved currently in a war.
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Why is that relevant?
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Well, under the War Powers Act or the War Powers Resolution passed in 1973 in the wake of the Vietnam War,
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the president has 60 days before he has to go to Congress and get permission to continue armed conflict.
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Now, the White House says that actually the war ended in April when Iran and the U.S agreed a ceasefire.
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Now, there may be a whole lot of military forces in the Bay of Hormuz,
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but as far as Donald Trump's White House is concerned,
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this is not an active war.
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And the White House also says that it doesn't believe
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that this resolution is something that can be used to force legally Donald Trump to hold up what he's doing.
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And then finally, the White House says you can't tie the president's hands.
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He has to be flexible,
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not just for negotiating with Iran.
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It would be very difficult for the president if Congress suddenly had a power to say that his war had to end.
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But also because he, rather the White House,
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says that his job is to protect both the U.S forces and the U.S more generally.
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And therefore, he needs that flexibility.
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Tom Simons.

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing speaking with this YouTube video on Donald Trump's response to the House resolution is an excellent way to enhance your English skills. Engaging with political content not only exposes you to formal language and complex ideas, but it also enables you to understand contemporary issues and expressions used in real discussions.

Using the shadowing technique, where you mimic the speaker, allows you to improve your pronunciation and intonation in a natural context. This video provides insights into how to structure arguments and articulate opinions effectively, which is crucial for anyone looking to participate in conversations about current events. Plus, by learning English with YouTube, you can access authentic content that mirrors natural speech patterns.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In this video, several important expressions and grammatical structures are highlighted:

  • "The House of Representatives has passed a resolution" - This structure shows the use of passive voice in formal reporting, typical in political discussions. Understanding this can help you sound more authoritative in your own speech.
  • "It has to go to the Senate" - The modal verb "has to" indicates necessity, which is critical when discussing protocol or rules. This phrase can be adapted in various contexts to expressrequirements.
  • "The president has previously dismissed as unconstitutional" - This structure illustrates the past perfect tense, useful for discussing actions completed before another past action. You can apply this when talking about historical events in your conversations.
  • "...it might be defeated by the rest of the Republican Party" - The use of the conditional statement "might be" helps express possibility, a crucial aspect of discussing future uncertainties.
  • "The White House says that this resolution is not legally binding" - Here, understanding the phrase "not legally binding" is key in political language, indicating that an agreement lacks legal force. Such phrases are essential when navigating legal discussions in English.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When watching the video, you may encounter certain words and phrases that can be tricky to pronounce:

  • “Unconstitutional” - The syllables can be challenging; practice breaking it down to “un-con-sti-tu-tion-al” to maintain clarity.
  • “Resolution” - Pay attention to the second syllable; it should sound like “res-o-lu-tion.” This is often mispronounced by learners.
  • “Defeated” - Focus on the stressed syllable: the second one. Repeat it and try using the shadowing app to ensure fluency.
  • “Legally binding” - The rhythm of this phrase can be tough; practice saying it slowly before increasing speed.

By engaging with these elements, and using a shadowing site or app, you can elevate your speaking skills significantly. Combining video content with these practices makes for a well-rounded approach to learning English, especially when navigating complex subjects like politics.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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