President Donald Trump’s risky decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night has set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill while threatening to split both his own party and Democrats.
The move is an enormous gamble by Trump, one that could engulf the country in yet another Middle Eastern war even as he battles with U.S. allies over tariffs, clashes with Democrats on harsh immigration policies and tries to keep his own party in line on taxes and government funding.
Check out this video of Jake and Bres talking about what this all means for Congress.
Trump is making himself a wartime president even as his America First movement has been branded as opposed to U.S. involvement in international conflicts. But Trump is betting he can get away with it — if Iran gives in quickly under joint American-Israeli pressure and there’s no significant military or economic fallout for the United States.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” this morning, said the United States is not at war with Iran but rather its nuclear program. Vance repeatedly said that he believes Iran should now come to the negotiating table. Vance also promised that this won’t become a long-term military entanglement for the United States.
Top Democrats lashed out at Trump for failing to consult with the Hill, brief them on his plans, or — most importantly — get authorization from Congress. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said congressional leaders were given a heads-up about the operation “immediately” after the U.S. planes had left Iranian airspace. The House and Senate were already scheduled to have classified briefings on Iran on Tuesday afternoon.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime Tehran hawk who opposed the Iran nuclear deal, wants a vote on a War Powers Act resolution. In a statement, Schumer accused Trump of making “erratic threats” with “no strategy.”
“The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased,” Schumer added.
We’ll note that Schumer was critical of Trump just a few weeks ago for not being hawkish enough on Iran.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took a slightly harder line than Schumer but nowhere near as critical as many of his own members, including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, who called the bombing “unauthorized and unconstitutional.”
Jeffries said this:
Yet many rank-and-file Democrats and party activists are outraged by the Iran attack. Some even want to see Trump impeached and removed from office — which isn’t going to happen.
Here’s Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.):
“It is illegal for Donald Trump to drag America into another endless foreign war,” said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Casar wants Congress to vote on the issue.
Pro-Israel Democrats — a smaller group — praised Trump’s move without trying to praise Trump. That’s a nearly impossible line to walk, but it shows how difficult this issue is for lawmakers.
One outlier was Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who said Trump made “the correct move” and reposted Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the U.S. strikes.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) is another pro-Israel Democrat. Gottheimer praised the U.S. attack without mentioning Trump.
GOP response. Republican congressional leaders quickly fell in line with Trump, although the rank-and-file is largely quiet.
Speaker Mike Johnson, a close Trump ally, said, in part: “The President’s decisive action prevents the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants ‘Death to America,’ from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet. This is America First policy in action.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune put it this way: “As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”
Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton, a huge Iran hawk, said, “President Trump made the right call and the ayatollahs should recall his warning not to target Americans.”
Yet the MAGA movement has been strongly opposed to any U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war, so this is a huge test of Trump’s ability to control the very people who propelled him back into the White House.
Trump is banking heavily on Iran folding. An extended conflict that involves Iran striking at U.S. forces — with an American response — will make it even harder for Trump to keep his own supporters in line.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is a perfect example. She is very publicly breaking with Trump.
“Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war,” Greene said. “There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first… This is not our fight.”
War Powers Resolutions. Schumer’s decision to back a war powers vote puts Senate passage on the table as a real possibility. War Powers Act votes are privileged in the Senate and only require a simple majority.
This Senate vote would be mostly symbolic, however, because two-thirds support would be required to override a presidential veto. The House is also unlikely to pass a War Powers resolution anyway.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a War Powers resolution last week after Israel’s initial strikes on Iran. Kaine’s resolution ripens at the end of this coming week. It’s unclear if Kaine’s resolution is the one that Democrats intend to use.
Given Fetterman’s support for the strikes, Democrats won’t be completely unified, meaning they’d need more than just a few Republicans to join them in order for a resolution to pass. The Senate last passed a War Powers resolution for Iran in 2020, with eight Republicans — seven of whom are still in the Senate — joining Democrats.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have offered a similar measure in the House, but there’s no guarantee it could pass. Some pro-Israel or hawkish Democrats will vote no, while virtually all Republicans will likely be opposed or won’t vote for it out of fear of angering Trump.
