Trump Launches Another Illegal War
Americans desperately need a Congress that can stop his reckless violence.
Donald Trump, reeling from the Epstein pedophile scandal, soaring inflation, and rotten poll numbers, launched an unprovoked regional war without congressional authorization — let alone a coherent rationale for the strikes across Iran. Iran retaliated with strikes on U.S. forces and U.S. military assets across the region. Reports indicate Iran launched attacks on Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Dubai, and Bahrain.
President Trump and his aides asserted that Iran had restarted its nuclear program, had enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days and was developing long-range missiles that will soon be capable of hitting the United States.
All three of these claims are either false or unproven.
Indeed, just months ago Trump declared we had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. Moreover, “The stockpiles of uranium that Iran has already enriched remain buried after last year’s strikes, making it nearly impossible for Iran to build a bomb ‘within days.’” And Iran is not close to developing a ballistic missile capability.
The rationale for the war is confused, at best. Trump and his war collaborator, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are calling for regime change. But how is that to come about? In his announcement, Trump proclaimed to the Iranian people: “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.” Without further direction or promise of assistance, he declared, “This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.”
Netanyahu chimed in that Iranians should “cast off the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-seeking Iran.” He provided no details as to how they would accomplish this.
Right now, the country is under siege and any dissidents are digging in to save their lives (as are government officials and loyalists). How are they to stage a revolution? And how are they going to defeat the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is most likely to seize power should the clerics fall?
When a full scale regime change does not materialize out of thin air, Trump will… do what? Keep firing at target, perhaps. But just as there is no strategic means of accomplishing his goal, there is no clear off ramp when it comes to pass.
Major General (Ret.) Paul D. Eaton, an Army commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and senior adviser to VoteVets PAC, said in a statment:
Men who know more about war than Donald Trump ever will warned him repeatedly about the risks to American lives by starting a war with Iran. Indeed, Trump himself predicted casualties in his speech to America. The Constitution could not be more clear. When launching wars of choice, especially with American lives in the balance, the president goes to Congress and Congress authorizes it. That did not happen, and these operations are blatantly unconstitutional.
More to the point, these operations seem to have no focus. Trump says they’re to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, but just last year he said we ‘obliterated’ that program. It seems to be targeting missile sites, but Trump says it is to stoke regime change. A war without focus is a war with no tangible goals. And a war with no goals ends up a Forever War.
Democratic members of Congress, including Ranking Member of the Intelligence Committee Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), weighed in to demand answers. (“Overnight, the president conducted expansive U.S. strikes — not limited to nuclear or missile infrastructure but extending to a broad set of targets, including senior Iranian leadership — marking a deeply consequential decision that risks pulling the United States into another broad conflict in the Middle East,” he said. “The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns.”)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was emphatic: “Donald Trump’s single-handedly starting another war with Iran is dangerous and illegal. ‘America first’ doesn’t mean dragging the United States into another forever war built on lies while ignoring the needs of Americans here at home.” She added: “The Constitution is clear: only Congress can declare war. The Senate must come back in session immediately to vote up or down on a War Powers Resolution.”
Several things are clear:
This is an aggressive war of choice that risks a regional conflagration.
It is an unconstitutional and illegal war.
Republicans’ refusal to take their constitutional obligations seriously now has allowed multiple illegal, open-ended wars.
The most obvious explanation — a war to distract from political failure – points to the desperation of a flailing president.
If they lacked justification to replace the MAGA majority in Congress, this should provide all the justification Democrats need. Unless we want endless, unjustified wars, we need a Congress that will stop him.
We will have more news and commentary to bring you over the weekend and in the days ahead.
This is an Israel First War.
Israel is in charge of our Middle East foreign policy.
Russia is in charge of our European foreign policy.
The American people - fodder.
Going to keep aflame my incindiery feelings. Otherwise, despair.
Excellent, and very astute, observations, Jennifer! Thank you! A flailing, cornered, delusional moron is acting out in desperate ways…..with, unfortunately, more to come. He…..and his enabling Republicans…..are: a plague upon our Country…..and World.
The ONLY way out of this mess that the American voter got us into, is for the American voter to fix this mess by OVERWHELMINGLY…..voting Blue….in EVERY election, at EVERY level. Vote Blue!