She’d even co-sponsored the No More Presidential Wars Act in 2018, which stated that the president must “seek congressional authorization prior to any engagement of the U.S. Armed Forces against Syria, Iran, or Russia.” It was not surprising when, in spite of Trump’s determination that Soleimani had posed an imminent threat, Gabbard insisted that the president had “committed an illegal and unconstitutional act.” Gabbard also warned that a war against Iran in particular would be “so costly and devastating” that it would make the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “look like a picnic.” The president’s recent determination of an imminent threat in Iran seems to be enough for her: Posting to social media yesterday from her official government X account, she wrote, “Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people” and “as our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country.” Gabbard repeated this argument in a Senate hearing on worldwide threats today. Members of the executive branch cannot be trusted to leave the war power in the hands of Congress, as the Constitution and the rule of law demands.
Author: Conor Friedersdorf
Published at: 2026-03-18 22:44:00
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