Did Trump Overstep His Authority by Ordering Strikes on Iran?

President Donald Trump's decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities has spurred debate about constitutional overreach and presidential war powers.

From the Left: In a USA Today (Lean Left bias) opinion piece, Chris Brennan criticizes Trump for disregarding the Constitution's provision that grants Congress the power to declare war. He contends that Trump's unilateral military action against Iran is an act of war and thus a violation of the US Constitution. Brennan also criticizes the Trump administration for ignoring the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires a president to alert Congress within 48 hours of military hostilities and end them in 60 days unless Congress approves. He calls for Congress to assert its authority as a coequal branch of government and force Trump to comply with the law.

From the Right: Andrew McCarthy (Right), writing for the Wall Street Journal Opinion (Lean Right), acknowledges the tension between the president's duty to quell foreign threats to national security and Congress's power to declare war. While conceding that Trump had the authority to strike Iran based on the post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), McCarthy suggests that the AUMF has proved to be “too sweeping and open-ended a delegation of war power” to the president. McCarthy argues for the repeal of the existing AUMF and the enactment of a new one, tailored to the current state of international terrorism. If the president needs to use force outside of these parameters, the author argues, he should seek separate congressional authorization, except in cases of emergencies.

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