US lawmakers condemn Trump’s strikes on Iran; MAGA base frustrated
5 Min Read
US lawmakers from both parties criticize Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, arguing they bypassed Congressional authority and risked escalating into a broader Middle East war.
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The US Capitol, on June 5, 2025, in Washington (AP)
In response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, numerous members of Congress have voiced strong opposition, raising constitutional concerns about the lack of Congressional authorization
US Representative Thomas Massie posted on X, saying: "This is not constitutional."
This is not Constitutional. https://t.co/EU3fS5jcwb
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 21, 2025
Additionally, Democratic representative Ro Khanna said that, "Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress," adding, "We need to immediately return to DC and vote on Representative Thomas Massie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war."
Trump struck Iran without any authorization of Congress.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) June 22, 2025
We need to immediately return to DC and vote on @RepThomasMassie and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war.
Representative Ilhan Omar called the strikes a "dangerous and reckless escalation of an already volatile conflict in the Middle East."
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Trump for approving the strike, while Democratic US Representative Don Beyer stated that President Trump has "no constitutional authority to take us to war with Iran without authorization from Congress, and Congress has not authorized it."
My statement on Donald Trump’s unilateral military action in Iran. pic.twitter.com/2ZjZXlPbrl
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) June 22, 2025
Democratic Rep. Summer Lee expressed that Trump is acting "fully outside of his authority and is once again trampling on the Constitution."
Lee added that the action was "illegal" and emphasized that it brings the US closer to war than peace, as Trump endangers millions of lives.
Trump is acting fully outside of his authority and is once again trampling on the Constitution. This is an illegal and terrifying escalation. Dropping bombs on Iran brings us closer to war, not peace, and he is putting millions of lives at stake.
— Rep. Summer Lee (@RepSummerLee) June 22, 2025
Congress must immediately pass… https://t.co/0pC13PD0Tb
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote in an X statement that "Israel" is a nuclear "state," adding that this fight was not the fight of the US, and the nation should not "get involved in another foreign war."
Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) June 21, 2025
There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first.
Israel is a nuclear armed nation.
This is not our fight.
Peace is…
Congress member Rep. Jim McGovern called the attack "insane", noting Trump went ahead with the bombing without Congressional approval.
This is insane. Trump just bombed Iran without Congressional approval, illegally dragging us into war in the Middle East. Have we not learned our lesson!?!?
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) June 22, 2025
Congress must return to Washington at once to vote on @RepThomasMassie’s War Powers Resolution to stop this madness. https://t.co/t81ntUPNyh
Additionally, Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a post on X: "Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without Congressional authorization."
Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without Congressional authorization.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 22, 2025
I join my colleagues in demanding answers from the Administration on this operation which endangers American lives and risks further escalation and…
Top Democrats left in the dark
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill say they were not briefed in advance of the US military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, according to multiple sources cited by Axios. The lack of prior notification has sparked concerns about transparency and the decision-making process behind such a consequential action.
Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, were not informed ahead of the strike, sources familiar with the matter told Axios. In contrast, their Republican counterparts were reportedly given advance notice.
Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) received only a brief, perfunctory notification shortly before Trump announced the strike, according to one source. Meanwhile, Himes’ committee staff received official Pentagon notification only after the operation was publicly disclosed by Trump on social media.
Senators are expected to receive a classified briefing on the Iran situation on Tuesday. The delay in information-sharing has fueled criticism among Democratic lawmakers, who argue that military actions of this scale require full and timely Congressional oversight.
'Israel forced Trump's hand'
The US president is facing backlash from his MAGA base after launching strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Steve Bannon, his former chief strategist, warned on his podcast that “an overwhelming majority of the people [in the US] don’t want to get involved in any of this” and suggested "Israel" had “essentially forced President Trump’s hand” into a war America didn’t want. Bannon and other prominent figures like Tucker Carlson criticized the attack, with Carlson saying there was “zero credible intelligence” Iran was close to a nuclear weapon.
Critics argued that teaming up with "Israel" risks betraying Trump’s promise to end “forever wars” and could provoke retaliation against US troops.
MAGA voices like podcaster Theo Von said, “I felt like it was supposed to be America First… and now… it just feels like we’re working for Israel,” while comedian Dave Smith called the strikes an “illegal war of aggression against Iran.”
Jack Posobiec warned of the risk of being pulled deeper into regime change, while Matthew Boyle of Breitbart said Trump must “win that trust back” from a base that preferred America stay out of war.
US strikes three nuclear facilities in Iran
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced on Sunday at dawn that the United States carried out what he described as a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Trump stated that a "full payload of bombs" was dropped on Fordow, the primary target, and confirmed that all US aircraft involved in the operation have exited Iranian airspace and are "safely on their way home."
"Congratulations to our great American Warriors," Trump wrote, adding, "There is not another military in the world that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!"
According to sources cited by Axios, Trump met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Saturday evening.
According to an Israeli official, "Israel" was notified by the Trump administration in advance of the strikes, and another senior Israeli official told Axios that B-2 stealth bombers were used for the strike.
