In 2011, then-President Barack Obama called for a strike against Libya, a conflict that would last about eight months, and Democrats backed him every step of the way, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
At the time, Pelosi claimed that Obama did not seek congressional approval for the strike.
In 2026, Donald Trump conducted a similar strike called Operation Epic Fury, and Pelosi sounds like she wants to impeach him for an illegal action.
A journalist asked Pelosi about the 2011 strike right after it took place.
Now, keep in mind, Obama did not inform Congress and did not send a letter about the strike until days later.
The journalist asked Pelosi, "You’re saying that the president did not need authorization initially and still does not need any authorization from Congress on Libya?"
She gave a one-word answer, “Yes.”
On April 1, 2011, the administration issued a letter to justify its actions via the War Powers Provision.
In part, it stated, “This memorandum memorializes advice this Office provided to you, prior to the commencement of recent United States military operations in Libya, regarding the President’s legal authority to conduct such operations.
“For the reasons explained below, we concluded that the President had the constitutional authority to direct the use of force in Libya because he could reasonably determine that such use of force was in the national interest.
“We also advised that prior congressional approval was not constitutionally required to use military force in the limited operations under consideration.”
Per the War Powers Resolution, a president has 60 days to conduct the operation, at which point a 30-day extension or a formal declaration of war must be approved by Congress. We are clearly still within that 60-day window for Operation Epic Fury.
Yet, Pelosi stated, “They’re not at all alike. What Obama did was limited military force. This is beyond that. It was limited military force.”
Well, Nancy, it is limited force. It is limited to air strikes, save one torpedo strike, which just happened to blow a ship right out of the water. The administration has also stated that it expects this operation to wrap up in about six weeks, well within that 60-day window. So what part of this does not fall under the same narrative as the Obama strike in 2011?
Pelosi continued, "Do your homework. Read the law. We have lost people in war already. We don’t even know if these people admit that is war going on now." Well, Nancy, you are the legislator who is paid to interpret these things for the American people. How about you read the law and explain exactly to us how these things differ? But you can’t and won’t do that, because there is no difference.
