President Donald Trump’s joint strikes with Israel against Iran have garnered bipartisan support and opposition. The reactions expose a divide in both parties, as several Democrats defended the move while a handful of Republicans pushed back on Trump’s constitutional authority.
Some lawmakers are pushing to limit Trump’s war powers, with both chambers gearing up for war powers resolutions. Success remains uncertain, however, as other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have indicated strong support for the action.
Congressional leaders have stated the following:
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said Iran is now “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions.” “President Trump and the Administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions, support for terrorism, and the murder of Americans — and even their own people,” he wrote on X.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X, “Congress must vote on a War Powers resolution immediately.” He said Trump “failed to seek Congressional authorization prior to striking Iran. Instead, the President’s decision to abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions.”
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised Trump for taking military action to subvert clear threats posed by Iran, saying Tehran had “refused the diplomatic off-ramps” presented by the administration. “For years, Iran’s relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory, and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies. Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats.”
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Senate to “quickly return to session” and “reassert its constitutional duty” by passing a resolution to curb Trump’s war powers against Iran. He said he has asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio “to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next.” In a statement on X, he said, “Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home. The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat.”
- Republican Reps. Warren Davidson, Ohio, Thomas Massie, Ky., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have expressed concerns about trampling Congress’ constitutional authority. Some who oppose the military strikes have stated the following:
- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called for a Senate vote on his War Powers Resolution to block US military action in Iran, following recent strikes without congressional approval. “The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran,” Kaine said. His latest resolution was co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
- In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are preparing another war powers resolution for a vote. “When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Khanna] to force a congressional vote on war with Iran,” Massie said. “The Constitution requires Congress to vote, and your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
- Khanna criticized Trump’s actions as “an illegal regime change war in Iran.”
- Sen. Jack Reed, R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Trump’s decision to take US military action against Iran will have long-lasting consequences. “Against the clear wishes of the American people, President Trump has thrust our nation into a major war with Iran — one he never made a case for, never sought congressional authority for, and for which he has no endgame,” he said in a statement. “President Trump has chosen the path of war while diplomacy was still within reach. That is a decision with consequences that will outlast this presidency.” Reed called for an “immediate briefing” so that Congress can provide necessary oversight.
- New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim called for Congress to return to session and pass a war powers resolution limiting presidential authority for military action against Iran. Kim, along with Senator Tim Kaine, advocates for congressional approval for future US military action. “Right now, I have zero confidence in this president who has so flagrantly violated our Constitution. That is why we should have Congress immediately go back into session for the War Powers vote to reassert the American people’s will, which, again, they don’t want to be at war.”
- Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the US and Israeli strikes in Iran raise “serious legal and constitutional concerns.” “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,” he said in a statement Saturday.
- Senator Bernie Sanders accused President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of starting an illegal and unconstitutional war against Iran. He called for the Senate to reconvene and vote on a War Powers Resolution, emphasizing that the U.S. Constitution mandates Congressional approval for war declarations. He also asserted that Americans were lied to about Vietnam and Iraq, said they “are being lied to again today,“ and that they will be paying the price. “The people of our country, no matter what their political persuasion, do not want endless war. They want decent paying jobs, and health care and housing they can afford. They want their kids to have an excellent education,” Sanders said in the statement. “We must not allow Trump to force us into another senseless war. No war with Iran.”
- Rep. Sarah McBride, D-del., who identifies as transgender, said Trump has a “shoot-first-ask-questions-later foreign policy” in a post on X.”This president appears determined to drag our country into yet another regime change war overseas rather than addressing problems here at home. Whether a full-scale regional war in the Middle East unfolds today or sometime in the future, this president’s shoot-first-ask-questions-later foreign policy inevitably leads to one place in the end: death, destruction, and destabilization,” McBride said in the post.”
Reps. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., put the blamed Iran for the escalation, as did Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. Lawmakers supporting the strikes have stated the following:
- Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania expressed support for U.S. strikes on Iran, praising President Trump’s actions and breaking from Democratic opposition. Fetterman was asked by Fox News’ Lawrence B. Jones why he was breeaking from most members of his own party. “Well, because that was always the right thing. You can just put out, you know, tweets and statements, you know, to support peace, but to actually create real peace, you have to do these kinds of actions just like what [just] happened. Just like last year too, when they — to destroy [Iran’s] nuclear facilities. I fully support these kinds of things and I’m proud to stand with our military and Israel through this and that was the right thing.” He added, “I might be a Democrat, but in this specific case, the president is absolutely correct to do these kinds of actions, and now we have Israel’s back. And now that’s why it’s entirely the path for peace in that region.”
- In an X post, Fetterman wrote, “President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”
- Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina wrote on X: “The end of the largest state sponsor of terrorism is upon us. This operation is necessary and long justified.
- Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said:
“I am grateful for our brave men and women who are conducting Operation Epic Fury and am praying for those servicemembers who are under attack across the region. The White House must immediately provide all of Congress with a detailed, classified briefing on this operation and its long-term strategy, including how it intends to prevent instability across the region.“I’ve always believed that Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon – especially because the Iranian regime is fully committed to the destruction of the U.S. and Israel. At the same time, Iran’s support for ballistic missiles and terrorist proxies are some of the leading national security threats to the U.S., Israel, and the region. The Iranian regime and its proxies have blood on their hands from the thousands of American and IDF troops who they have killed and wounded, and the many others who now sit in harm’s way.”
Now Rosen also stated that she is troubled by the president’s military actions over the past year. In a statement, she warned that the administration’s “history of repeatedly withholding information and misleading Congress could lead us into another protracted Middle East conflict, without authorization from Congress” and that “the American people are wary of prolonged military engagements abroad, especially when the objectives are unclear.”
- Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told NBC News that military action in Iran is overdue due to the nation’s crackdown on protesters. He acknowledged the high risk of a joint U.S.-Israeli operation, but believes it is necessary. “Iran has been waging war against us since 1979,” Bacon told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “I think, from a humanitarian point of view, the free world’s got to stand up and say, ‘This is unacceptable.'”
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., praised the military’s actions but did not confirm support for a resolution limiting Trump’s war powers on Iran. “Today, the United States, with our key democratic ally Israel, took decisive action to defend our national security, fight terror, protect our allies, and stand with the Iranian people who have been massacred in the streets for demanding freedom from the murderous Iranian regime,” Gottheimer said in a statement.
Another voice that spoke out in support of the strikes in that of Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served in Trump’s first administration. Esper told NBC News’ Kristen Welker, “I think the president and his team made the right call, ” but that the “endgame” for the military operation “looks a little fuzzy right now.”
“We’ve just got to see how this plays out,” he said.
Esper said Trump needs to address Americans.
“I think every president benefits by going before the American people and explaining what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, how long it will take, what the pros are, the cons, the risks,” Esper said. “So, I think the more he could speak to that, to the American people directly … but also to Congress, both the House and Senate and, and then, of course, have his members of his Cabinet go out and do the same,” he added.
