Democrats are pitching a fit over the strike against Iran, claiming Trump overstepped his presidential powers, but they are wrong.
Legal expert Jonathan Turley believes that Trump has them boxed in, at least for now.
The fact of the matter is that Trump is well within his rights via the War Powers Act, legislation that both Biden and Obama used to conduct strikes during their presidencies.
People are acting as though this strike was surprising, but I had been saying for several days leading up to the strike that all the signs were there.
In fact, on Thursday, I had stated that if Iran negotiated in good faith, it could prevent a strike, but if they started running off at the mouth and the talks broke down, Trump would have no choice but to attack.
While Trump claimed he had not made up his mind about a strike (which 100% meant that he did), Iranian officials started talking tough in the media, and reports broke that the Gang of Eight was being briefed by Sec. Marco Rubio.
Then, on Saturday, news broke that the United States and Israel had launched a massive joint strike against Iran.
All the signs were there that the strike was imminent. Trump had shifted significant assets to the Middle Eastern theater, and Israel was reportedly ramping up its training. This gave Democrats plenty of time to get everyone on the same page for a response narrative.
That narrative is apparently to defend Iran.
As an example of what we saw, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was upset that the strike took place during Ramadan, posting, "Iraq was attacked by the U.S. during Ramadan and it sickening to know that the U.S. is again going to attack Iran during Ramadan. The U.S. apparently loves to strike Muslim countries during Ramadan and I am convinced it isn't what these countries have done to violate international law but about who they worship.”
Just digest that statement for a second and realize that this woman is a member of Congress and paid to represent the people of this country, not a terrorist nation.
Article 1 of the Constitution requires Congress to approve a declaration of war, but this was not, technically, a declaration of war. It was a strategic strike, and the Gang of Eight had been briefed before the strike took place.
The War Powers Act of 1973 allows the president to conduct a strike without congressional approval as long as Congress is notified within 48 hours, as well as mandating a troop withdrawal within 60-90 days of that initial attack (unless Congress authorizes a declaration of war).
And for the record, the last three Democrat presidents conducted military actions in much the same manner, and Obama and Clinton pressed their authority by leaving troops deployed past the mandated deadlines.
For a far more technical explanation of how Trump has Congress boxed in, at least for now, I highly encourage you to read the recent op-ed by Jonathan Turley on Fox News (click here). If Trump were wrong, I would tell you, and I hope you know that by now. This strike is not only justified, but it is a major win for the good guys. It’s a shame that nearly half of the elected officials in this country don’t see it that way.
