Ignore The Democrats. Bombing Iran Was Legal And Right
President Trump just bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. We are still waiting for Iranians to do the damage assessment so the Mossad can eavesdrop and let us know, but it looks like Iran no longer has a nuclear program. No American was injured during the operation, which is terrible news for Democrats because they’d have loved to find something to complain about. Instead, they are making legally illiterate arguments that what Trump did was un-Constitutional.
Democratic members of the House like AOC, Yassamin Ansari, Sean Crasten, and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries all put out statements that the strike was unlawful. Senators like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and even “centrist” Tammy Duckworth also said the same thing. Pundits like George Conway and Tommy Vietor also led the charge that this was illegal.
Someone must ask them: Was it also illegal when Obama was bombing Pakistan and Libya without authorization? How about when Biden bombed Yemen? And if it was, why didn’t they say anything?
According to the Constitution, only Congress may declare war, but the president, as the commander in chief, has the authority to order limited strikes.
Congress modified this in 1973 through the War Powers Act to restrict the president’s power. According to the law, the president still may initiate a military operation without Congressional authorization. But he must inform Congress within 48 hours of the operation, and he cannot continue it beyond 60 days. After the 60-day period, the president can still command the operation for another 30 days to withdraw forces.
It is as plain as simple as that. So Trump can bomb Iran for another 59 days without violating the law.
There is another talking point going around, that Trump just committed an act of war against Iran. Let’s get our facts straight:
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran took American diplomats hostage for 444 days;
During the Iraq War, Iran used its proxies to kill 603 American military members;
Iran’s proxies, paid for and commanded by Tehran, have killed several Americans, civilian and military, since the Gaza War started;
Iran’s proxies have constantly attacked U.S. military and diplomatic facilities in the Middle East over the past decade.
None of these was an act of war, but, when America hits back, it is? It is un-American to be fine with being hit but complaining when our country defends itself.
What Trump did was legal, and it was an act of self-defense, not aggression.
Britain has nukes. I don’t lose sleep over it because they don’t chant death to America. I have a very simple rule: You can either chant “Death to America” or have a nuclear program. You just can’t do both.
The Islamic Republic of Iran chants death to America. Just to make sure we believe them, they also kill our people. When we punch them back, strictly acting within the legal powers of the president, without as much as a broken American toe as a casualty, the only response is, “America, heck yeah!”