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(WASHINGTON) — The House Oversight Committee’s first closed-door transcribed meeting investigating former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity began Tuesday with former White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden appearing for questioning on Capitol Hill.
Committee Chairman James Comer is investigating Biden’s health and mental “decline,” as well as the use of an autopen for pardons and other executive actions.
“This is the first of what will be many interviews with people we believe were involved in the autopen scandal in the Biden administration,” Comer told reporters Tuesday morning. “I think the American people want to know, I think there’s a huge level of curiosity in the press corps [with] respect to who was actually calling the shots in the Biden administration.”
Following the introductory portion of the meeting, Comer said Republicans wrapped a “good hour,” while Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., called it an “extraordinary waste of time.”
Tanden was nominated by Biden to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget but ultimately withdrew her nomination after facing a bruising confirmation battle and bipartisan criticism over her past tweets that attacked members of Congress.
In addition to Tanden, additional former Biden senior aides are expected to sit down for interviews in the coming weeks without being subpoenaed, including Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams and Annie Tomasini.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the former White House physician for Biden, will appear under subpoena before the committee for a closed, transcribed interview on July 9, a source familiar with the committee’s plans told ABC News.
ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — “We are especially mindful that we are in the middle of a war right now,” former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — the front-runner in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary — told a crowd at a Juneteenth lunch event in the Bronx on Thursday.
Some people in the crowd started muttering — the war in the Middle East?
“We’re in the middle of a war — you don’t see it? Day in and day out, when you turn on the TV news and you see a president named Mr. Trump. Have you seen President Trump on TV?”
As some in the crowd booed, Cuomo added, “President Trump has declared war on Democratic states, Democratic cities. He’s declared war on working families, he’s declared war on immigrants, he’s declared war on minorities, and he’s declared war on New York City and New York State.” He later told reporters, “Good news is — we beat [the administration] once before, and we’re going to beat them again.”
In the final days of campaigning for Tuesday’s New York City ranked choice Democratic mayoral primary, which has 11 candidates on the ballot, Cuomo and others fanned out across the city to make their closing arguments, with one shared focus being how they’re framing themselves as the best choice to stand up to the White House.
Curtis Sliwa, who lost to Mayor Eric Adams in 2021, is the only Republican running for mayor.
Voters, meanwhile, told ABC News they’re looking at both national and local issues — particularly affordability — as they decide who to cast votes for.
And scorching high temperatures in New York City could impact turnout on Election Day, as voters brave the heat to trudge to their polling places on Tuesday, with the city’s election board preparing for dehydration, and even potential heat-related power outages.
The New York City Board of Elections said last week in a news release that it is making sure polling sites that don’t have air conditioning will have fans, a “steady supply of water.” The board said it is working with emergency management and utility providers to make sure polling places don’t lose power, too.
A spokesperson for the board told City & State NY that potential heat-induced blackouts might impact vote counting, since then ballots would need to be counted similarly to absentee or affidavit ballots that get scanned later.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, signed legislation over the weekend allowing voters to receive refreshments while in line to vote.
In an email sent to supporters on Tuesday to supporters, Cuomo asked voters to “vote as early as you can to avoid the hottest parts of the day.”
For Cuomo, the election could mark his political comeback. His governorship was derailed after several women accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. He resigned as governor in 2021 but has consistently denied the allegations. One voter in downtown Manhattan told ABC News that she is voting for Cuomo despite misgivings over the allegations, mentioning that he had issued an apology in 2021.
Carmen S., a medical assistant who lives in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, told ABC News in an interview that immigration policy is one of the important issues in the race, becoming emotional speaking about the White House’s immigration policies. She declined to provide her full last name.
“I’m a child of immigrants,” she said. “Not every immigrant is a criminal.”
While she didn’t share who she ranked on her ballot, she praised Cuomo for his record and how he handled his job as governor.
Cuomo’s main opponent in the primary is state assembly member Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist whose progressive economic plans have galvanized many voters.
Mamdani, in an interview with ABC News on Thursday in Astoria, Queens, just hours after he voted early at a polling site in the Museum of the Moving Image, said his closing argument is that he is the one who can take on the “twin crises” facing the city: “Authoritarianism from the outside and an affordability crisis from the inside.”
“And what we need is a mayor who’s able to stand up to both of those and deliver a city that every New Yorker can afford and that every New Yorker understands that they belong to,” Mamdani told ABC News.
And as to why should people around the country care about this race, he said, “This is a referendum on where our party goes; it is a referendum on whether billionaires and corporations can buy yet another election, or if we opt for a new generation of leadership, one that isn’t funded by Trump donors, one that is actually able to stand up and fight for working class New Yorkers.”
That outlook has impressed some voters. Angela Pham, a 38-year-old content designer who lives in Greenwich Village, told ABC News in an interview after voting early that Mamdani “needs to win.”
“We’re supposed to be the most progressive city in America,” she said. “I feel like he’s the only candidate that makes sense for the things that we need to happen.”
Asked how she felt about Cuomo, Pham said, “He needs to get out of politics and retire to a farm.”
Mamdani has faced some pushback over his criticism of Israel, given New York’s large Jewish population. In response, he has emphasized policies to combat antisemitism and said that he wants to focus on city issues.
Cuomo has criticized Mamdani’s comments about Israel and made combatting antisemitism a key campaign focus. One voter in Greenwich Village told ABC News that concerns about antisemitism were a main driver for his decision to vote for Cuomo.
Fellow candidate New York City comptroller Brad Lander, who has “cross-endorsed” Mamdani, has received less momentum in polling but has gotten heightened attention since he was briefly detained last week by federal agents while escorting a defendant out of immigration court.
Lander, speaking with ABC News on Thursday on the Upper East Side near an early voting site at a school, said that the mayoral election in the city has national implications, because the administration has said it hopes to ““liberate” Democratic cities from their elected officials. That’s [a] code word for a federal government takeover, an erosion of democracy, a denial of due process,” Lander said.
“Democracy is on the line right now,” he added.
Officials from the White House and administration have said their actions towards cities such as Los Angeles are meant to restore order amidst protests and unrest.
Juan Peralta, a 31-year-old from Harlem who works in events, told ABC News that the only two candidates on the ballot he’s excited about are Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander, pointing to Mamdani’s proposal for free child care.
“Growing up in New York, I did feel like this was a place for families,” Peralta told ABC News. “Now I feel like it’s a place for families of a certain income.”
(WASHINGTON) — The House and Senate’s classified briefing on the Iran-Israel conflict has been postponed, multiple sources familiar confirmed.
The Senate’s briefing was delayed from Tuesday until Thursday to allow for additional briefers to attend, sources told ABC News. It’s not yet clear who those additional briefers would be.
The House’s classified briefing set for Tuesday afternoon has been postponed and it’s not yet clear when it will be rescheduled.
Sources told ABC News that the briefers who were expected to speak included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman John Caine, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg.
When the meetings occur, it’s expected that lawmakers, especially Democrats, will be looking for answers and evidence at the briefings from the administration — specifically why Trump said there was an imminent threat and carried out U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend.
Their meetings come after several lawmakers on Capitol Hill argued the military action was unconstitutional. There are several bipartisan resolutions that could receive a vote in coming days that may put some lawmakers in uncomfortable positions as they consider whether Trump ignored the role of Congress in striking Tehran.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna introduced a War Powers Resolution last week to rebuke the president’s decision to launch strikes. As Massie continued to rail against Trump and his role in the conflict, the president lashed out at the Kentucky Republican, saying he was “not MAGA” and threatened to campaign for Massie’s Republican primary opponent in the next election.
Massie has now softened his approach, telling reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he’s now considering pulling the bipartisan War Powers Resolution.
“If the ceasefire holds, and we’re not engaged in hostilities, then it’s a moot point. I wouldn’t need to bring it to the floor,” Massie said.
Massie also added that he is open to patching things up with the president: “I’d like a ceasefire between me and President Trump. If I can get the same deal, after his bunker busters he dropped on me.”
Trump on Monday announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire, after more than a week of fighting following Israel’s strikes — and subsequent U.S. attacks — on Iran’s nuclear program. Hours after the ceasefire took effect, Israel said Iran violated it — which Iran denies.
Trump expressed anger at both Israel and Iran, accusing both of violating the ceasefire agreement shortly after it began.
“I’m not happy with Israel. OK, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either,” Trump said to reporters Tuesday morning.
Speaker Mike Johnson said late Monday that he expects the House briefing to have a different “tone” in the light of the ceasefire.
ABC News’ Rachel Scott contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday morning had strong words for Israel and Iran as he accused both nations of violating a ceasefire agreement he announced just the night prior.
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard, that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing. Do you understand that?” Trump told ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott when asked if both nations were committed to peace.
Trump was clearly frustrated as he spoke with reporters before departing the White House for a NATO summit at The Hague in the Netherlands.
“Israel says Iran violated the peace agreement and the ceasefire agreement. Do you believe that Iran is still committed to peace?” Scott asked the president.
“I do, yeah. They violated it but Israel violated it, too,” Trump responded.
Scott then asked Trump if he was questioning Israel’s commitment to peace.
“Israel as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a boat load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “The biggest load that we’ve seen, I’m not happy with Israel. Ok, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with him. I’m not happy with Iran either.”
Neither Iran nor Israel have publicly commented on Trump’s remarks about the apparent ceasefire violations.
Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday morning, sources familiar with the call told ABC News.
A White House source provided a brief readout of the call: “President Trump was exceptionally firm and direct with Prime Minister Netanyahu about what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire. The Prime Minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed.”
Trump said on social media Monday evening that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire, signaling a possible end to nearly two weeks of escalating air assaults by the two countries.
The agreement described by Trump involved two 12-hour ceasefire periods, starting at about 12 a.m. EDT starting with Iran. That would come “when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions,” Trump said in the post.
Israel would then follow with a second 12-hour ceasefire, Trump said.
After 24 hours, the war would be officially declared ended, according to Trump.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump departed early Tuesday for the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, just days after he made the decision to launch strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and hours after he announced a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict. It will be the first time Trump will face European U.S. allies since returning to the White House in January.
On the eve of Trump’s departure, Iran carried out retaliatory strikes at a U.S. base in Qatar. Trump said Monday that 13 of those missiles were intercepted and a 14th was off target.
“I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,” Trump posted on social media, adding that Iran gave the U.S. “early notice.”
Then hours later, Trump posted on his social media platform that the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire that would end hostilities.
“This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!” Trump posted early Monday evening.
But as left the White House, Trump told ABC News on Tuesday he is “not happy” with either Israel or Iran after the opening hours of a nascent ceasefire between the two combatants were marred by reported exchanges.
Trump said Iran and Israel both “violated” the ceasefire.
“Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a boat load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Trump said. “The biggest load that we’ve seen, I’m not happy with Israel.”
“OK, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” the president added. “So, I’m not happy with him. I’m not happy with Iran either.”
Trump said he was “unhappy if Israel is going out this morning because of one rocket that didn’t land, that was shot perhaps by mistake, but didn’t land,” referring to Israeli allegations — denied by Tehran — that Iran fired missiles toward Israel on Tuesday after the ceasefire came into effect.
The conflict will undoubtedly loom large over this summit just as it did with the G7 summit in Canada last week — which Trump left early to monitor the growing crisis between Israel and Iran back at the White House.
The trip will be brief. Trump is expected to leave the White House early Tuesday morning and return to the U.S. on Wednesday evening. Upon his arrival in the Netherlands on Tuesday night, Trump will head straight into the pomp and circumstance. He will attend a formal dinner at the Netherlands Royal Palace alongside the King and Queen of the Netherlands. He will also take a NATO family photo that evening.
On Wednesday, Trump will attend the NATO summit where he will participate in a NATO family photo, a photo spray at the top of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s remarks and then the first plenary session with NATO leaders. The president will then spend a few hours engaged in bilateral meetings, although it is not not yet known which leaders he plans to meet with on the sidelines of the summit. Trump will then hold a news conference where he will surely face questions about his order to strike Iranian nuclear sites and the impact of that mission. After the news conference, Trump is set to leave the Netherlands and return to the U.S.
Trump is going into the conference with a key priority: he wants the alliance to codify an increase in defense spending across all member nations, from 2% of their gross domestic product to 5%. This has been a signature issue for Trump well before the new Middle East conflict. The president has long complained that the U.S. has been subsidizing the defense of its allies — and has even gone so far as threatening that he would not come to the defense of nations not fully paying their way, a radical departure from NATO’s Article 5, which says an attack on one is an attack on all.
Trump’s criticisms go back as far as the 2017 NATO summit, when he accused his European counterparts of failing to pay what he said was their “fair share.”
Though Trump’s top advisers have signaled confidence that the 5% threshold will be agreed to by a vote at this year’s summit, some nations like Spain have other plans. Spain’s prime minister announced over the weekend that it forged an agreement that will allow it to remain in NATO without meeting the new defense spending threshold, instead contributing only 2.1% of the nation’s GDP.
Trump has a few other aims for the conference, including urging alliance members to revitalize their industrial capacities for critical minerals and weapons and bilateral meetings with world leaders to reaffirm a commitment to allies, a senior administration official said last week in a call previewing the trip.
In the time since Trump last attended a NATO summit, Russia invaded Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has raged on for more than three years and Trump has repeatedly claimed it would not have happened if he were in office. He has also blamed the war on Ukraine’s desire to join NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been a featured guest at NATO summits since the war, including the one former President Joe Biden hosted in Washington last year, but it’s reported that Zelenskyy’s involvement will be limited this year — including not having a seat at the table.
This is also Trump’s first NATO summit of his second term, a reemergence in the alliance that he sharply criticized during his first term. It also comes after many NATO leaders have already returned to the White House for bilateral meetings to discuss key issues and to gain favor with Trump. Under the shadow of the growing conflict in the Middle East, world leaders will be watching closely for how Trump will enact his America First policy in his second term and how that policy will impact American alliances overseas.
ABC News’ Rachel Scott and Aïcha Elhammar contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s strike against Iran will be met with pushback on Capitol Hill this week as some lawmakers argue the military action was unconstitutional.
There are several bipartisan resolutions that could receive a vote in coming days that may put some lawmakers in uncomfortable positions as they consider whether Trump ignored the role of Congress in striking Tehran.
It’s unlikely though, at this stage, that Trump’s rank-and-file Republican base will broadly abandon him by supporting these bills. If any were to make it to Trump’s desk, there likely wouldn’t be enough votes to override his veto.
“I don’t think this is an appropriate time for a war powers resolution, and I don’t think it’s necessary,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday afternoon at the Capitol.
Fears of escalation ramped up on Monday as Iran retaliated against the U.S. with a missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar. The missiles were intercepted and there were no immediate reports of casualties at the base, according to U.S. officials.
Johnson said it’s up to Trump whether the United States responds to Iran’s attempt to retaliate on Monday.
“The president warned them not to retaliate, but he was also very clear that the threat of Iran obtaining nuclear capability is a threat not just to Israel and the Middle East, but to the United States as well. They’ve been very clear about their intentions and how much they hate us,” Johnson said. “The president made an evaluation that the danger was imminent enough to take his authority as commander in chief.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed skepticism about Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend.
“We’ve seen no evidence to date that an offensive strike of this nature was justified under the War Powers Act or the Constitution,” Jeffries said at a news conference in the Capitol on Monday. “And what I can say is not a scintilla of evidence to date has been presented that I have seen to justify the notion that there was an imminent threat to the United States of America.”
Trump’s decision to hit Iran in the stated aim of wiping out its nuclear capabilities follows a decades-long pattern of presidents taking military action and not waiting for Congress to sign off. Other examples include Joe Biden’s airstrikes in Syria in 2021, Barack Obama’s military campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq as well as George H.W. Bush’s invasion of Panama.
House and Senate lawmakers are expected to receive briefings on the Iran strike on Tuesday.
Trump faces bipartisan blowback
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna introduced a War Powers Resolution last week to prohibit “United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is leading a similar Senate resolution, which could come up sometime this week as the chamber tries to move forward with a megabill to fund much of Trump’s domestic policy agenda.
All three appeared on “Face the Nation” on CBS News on Sunday to make their case.
Massie contended there was “no imminent threat to the United States” that would authorize the president to strike Iran without congressional approval.
Kaine similarly said: “This is the U.S. jumping into a war of choice at Donald Trump’s urging without any compelling national security interests for the United States to act in this way, particularly without a debate and vote in Congress. We should not be sending troops and risking troops’ lives in an offensive war without a debate in Congress.”
Kaine added that he hopes Republicans push back.
“I know many Republicans will fall in line and say a president can do whatever he wants. But I hope members of the Senate and the House will take their Article I responsibilities seriously,” the Virginia Democrat said.
Khanna warned there is a possibility the strike is not a one-time occurrence.
“There are people who want regime change in Iran. And they are egging this president on to bomb. I hope cooler heads will prevail,” Khanna said on CBS. “We need to pass Thomas Massie and my War Powers Resolution to make it clear that we’re not going to get further entrenched into the Middle East.”
Trump lashed out at Massie in a lengthy social media post on Sunday, writing the Republican congressman is “not MAGA” and that “MAGA doesn’t want him” and “doesn’t respect him.” Trump said he’ll campaign for Massie’s Republican primary opponent in the next election.
Congress has twice before called out Trump on his use of military force without congressional approval.
In 2019, Congress approved a bill to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen, which Trump vetoed. In 2020, Trump ordered the drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. In response, Congress passed legislation seeking to limit a president’s ability to wage war against Iran, which was again quickly rejected by Trump.
What is the 1973 War Powers Resolution?
The legislation introduced by Massie and Khanna seeking to limit Trump’s ability to take U.S. military action against Iran cites the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which states that the president “in every possible instance shall consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances.”
It also states that in the absence of a declaration of war but when armed forces are introduced, the president must report to Congress within 48 hours the circumstances necessitating their introduction and must terminate the use of U.S. armed forces within 60 days unless Congress permits otherwise. If approval is not granted and the president deems it an emergency, then an additional 30 days are granted for ending operations.
Trump admin says strike was legally justified
Top officials defended the military action over the weekend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration “complied with the notification requirements” of the War Powers Resolution, saying members of Congress were notified “after the planes were safely out.”
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also sought to emphasize the U.S. is not at war with Iran.
Trump, though, warned that more strikes could come if Iran doesn’t negotiate a deal.
“If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill,” he said in his address to the nation on Saturday night.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a vocal supporter of military action against Iran leading up to Trump’s decision, argued on NBC News that Trump has all the authority he needs under Article II of the Constitution.
“Congress can declare war or cut off funding,” Graham said. “We can’t be the commander in chief. You can’t have 535 commanders-in-chief.”
The administration could also cite an existing military authorization as grounds for legal justification for striking against Iran.
The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is a joint resolution passed by Congress that authorized counterterrorism operations by U.S. military forces against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Congress passed another AUMF targeting Iraq in 2002. Both have since been cited to authorize military force in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia due to the broad language in the resolutions.
Critics have often said the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs grant the president powers to unilaterally wage “perpetual worldwide wars” and some lawmakers have been keen to repeal it — but those efforts have all been unsuccessful.
ABC News’ John Parkinson and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump warned Iran against retaliation several times following U.S. strikes against Tehran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday night.
On Monday, Iran fired missiles targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. military base in the region, raising concerns about escalation. A U.S. official told ABC news the U.S. intercepted Iranian missiles with assistance from Qatar.
President Trump was meeting on Monday with his national security team in the Situation Room and has not yet responded to Iran’s retaliatory attack.
In his address to the nation on Saturday night regarding the U.S. strikes against Iran, Trump cautioned Tehran not to hit back.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump said.
“There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump said, referencing the aerial strikes exchanged between Israel and Iran in the days leading up to U.S. involvement.
“Remember, there are many targets left,” Trump added. “Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”
Trump issued a similar message in all capital letters on social media: “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
Vice President JD Vance was further asked about the possibility of retaliation from Iran during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.
Vance said “what happens next is up to the Iranians.”
“If they’re willing to choose the smart path, they’re certainly going to find a willing partner in the United States to dismantle that nuclear weapons program,” Vance said. “But if they decide they’re going to attack our troops, if they decide they’re going to continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, then we are going to respond to that with overwhelming force.”
Top administration officials said over the weekend the U.S. was prepared for potential action from Iran.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Sunday that before the U.S. strike against Iran on Saturday, the military elevated force protection measures across the region.
While the administration says it is not interested in a wider war with Iran, Trump’s strikes against Tehran on Saturday prompted concern about the potential for escalation from Democrats and some Republicans.
This week, some lawmakers may try to advance bipartisan resolutions seeking to limit Trump’s war powers and prohibit U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran, though those measures face an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled Congress.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s strike against Iran will be met with pushback on Capitol Hill this week as some lawmakers argue the military action was unconstitutional.
There are several bipartisan resolutions that could receive a vote in coming days that may put some lawmakers in uncomfortable positions as they consider whether Trump ignored the role of Congress in striking Tehran.
It’s unlikely though, at this stage, that Trump’s rank-and-file Republican base will abandon him by supporting these bills. If any were to make it to Trump’s desk, there likely wouldn’t be enough votes to override his veto.
Trump’s decision to hit Iran in the stated aim of wiping out its nuclear capabilities follows a decades-long pattern of presidents taking military action and not waiting for Congress to sign off. Other examples include Joe Biden’s airstrikes in Syria in 2021, Barack Obama’s military campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq as well as George H.W. Bush’s invasion of Panama.
House and Senate lawmakers are expected to receive briefings on the Iran strike on Tuesday.
Trump faces bipartisan blowback Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna introduced a War Powers Resolution last week to prohibit “United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is leading a similar Senate resolution, which could come up sometime this week as the chamber tries to move forward with a megabill to fund much of Trump’s domestic policy agenda.
All three appeared on “Face the Nation” on CBS News on Sunday to make their case.
Massie contended there was “no imminent threat to the United States” that would authorize the president to strike Iran without congressional approval.
Kaine similarly said: “This is the U.S. jumping into a war of choice at Donald Trump’s urging without any compelling national security interests for the United States to act in this way, particularly without a debate and vote in Congress. We should not be sending troops and risking troops’ lives in an offensive war without a debate in Congress.”
Kaine added that he hopes Republicans push back.
“I know many Republicans will fall in line and say a president can do whatever he wants. But I hope members of the Senate and the House will take their Article I responsibilities seriously,” the Virginia Democrat said.
Khanna warned there is a possibility the strike is not a one-time occurrence.
“There are people who want regime change in Iran. And they are egging this president on to bomb. I hope cooler heads will prevail,” Khanna said on CBS. “We need to pass Thomas Massie and my War Powers Resolution to make it clear that we’re not going to get further entrenched into the Middle East.”
Trump lashed out at Massie in a lengthy social media post on Sunday, writing the Republican congressman is “not MAGA” and that “MAGA doesn’t want him” and “doesn’t respect him.” Trump said he’ll campaign for Massie’s Republican primary opponent in the next election.
Congress has twice before called out Trump on his use of military force without congressional approval.
In 2019, Congress approved a bill to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen, which Trump vetoed. In 2020, Trump ordered the drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. In response, Congress passed legislation seeking to limit a president’s ability to wage war against Iran, which was again quickly rejected by Trump.
What is the 1973 War Powers Resolution? The legislation introduced by Massie and Khanna seeking to limit Trump’s ability to take U.S. military action against Iran cites the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which states that the president “in every possible instance shall consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances.”
It also states that in the absence of a declaration of war but when armed forces are introduced, the president must report to Congress within 48 hours the circumstances necessitating their introduction and must terminate the use of U.S. armed forces within 60 days unless Congress permits otherwise. If approval is not granted and the president deems it an emergency, then an additional 30 days are granted for ending operations.
Trump admin says strike was legally justified
Top officials defended the military action over the weekend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration “complied with the notification requirements” of the War Powers Resolution, saying members of Congress were notified “after the planes were safely out.”
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also sought to emphasize the U.S. is not at war with Iran.
Trump, though, warned that more strikes could come if Iran doesn’t negotiate a deal.
“If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill,” he said in his address to the nation on Saturday night.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a vocal supporter of military action against Iran leading up to Trump’s decision, argued on NBC News that Trump has all the authority he needs under Article II of the Constitution.
“Congress can declare war or cut off funding,” Graham said. “We can’t be the commander in chief. You can’t have 535 commanders-in-chief.”
The administration could also cite an existing military authorization as grounds for legal justification for striking against Iran.
The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is a joint resolution passed by Congress that authorized counterterrorism operations by U.S. military forces against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Congress passed another AUMF targeting Iraq in 2002. Both have since been cited to authorize military force in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia due to the broad language in the resolutions.
Critics have often said the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs grant the president powers to unilaterally wage “perpetual worldwide wars” and some lawmakers have been keen to repeal it — but those efforts have all been unsuccessful.
The United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday, plunging the U.S. into a pitched battle that has been waged over the past several days between Israel and Iran.
The full ramifications of the U.S. action, announced by President Donald Trump as “very successful” were not clear. Trump and his closest advisers had been weighing for days how to proceed, debating the costs of involvement and inaction. Democrats and some Republicans had already criticized the strike just minutes after it was announced.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon on Sunday morning that the attack “devastated” and “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear program, describing the operation — named “Midnight Hammer” — as “bold and brilliant.” He added of Trump, “When this president speaks, the world should listen.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine also took part in the briefing, telling reporters that the seven B-2 bombers involved conducted the longest flight involving the B-2 fleet since 2001, refueling multiple times in-flight and linking up with escort fighter aircraft on their way east.
The bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to reach the Middle East.
A total of 14 “bunker-buster” bombs known as MOPs — Massive Ordnance Penetrators — were dropped on the three sites at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, with the first two munitions dropped at 2 a.m., Caine said.
The attack also involved a U.S. submarine that launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles at what Caine called “key surface infrastructure targets” at Isfahan.
Iran did not deploy fighters or surface-to-air missiles during the mission, Caine said. “Throughout the mission, we maintained the element of surprise,” Caine said. “We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. strike package on the way in,” he added.
The chairman said the operation included deception and suppression tactics to ensure the safety of the U.S. aircraft. This included the use of decoys, “high speed suppression weapons” and “preemptive suppressing fires,” he said. More than 125 aircraft participated in the mission.
Caine said of extent of the damage caused by the U.S. strike, “I know that battle damage is of great interest. Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.”
The 30,000-pound MOPs had never before been used in combat, but were expected to be able to tunnel 200 feet into the ground before exploding, a U.S. official said. The MOPs had been tested and were believed necessary to access underground nuclear sites like those at Fordo.
Hours earlier, sources told ABC News that B-2 stealth bombers, the only planes capable of carrying the MOP “bunker-buster” bombs, were headed to Guam. Caine said Sunday that those aircraft flew west to Guam as part of the Pentagon’s deception effort.
According to an Israeli official, the U.S. notified Israel ahead of the strike. Sources said House Speaker Mike Johnson was also briefed ahead of time. But other sources said that the full “Gang of Eight,”, including key Democrats, was not briefed until after the strikes. Some Democrats reacted harshly to the precarious military action in the volatile region, with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling it “ground for impeachment” and that Trump was in in “grave violation of the Constitution” by not seeking congressional authorization.
‘Tremendous success,’ Trump says
Trump first announced the strikes on Truth Social, a move that surprised many given his statement on Friday that there was a “substantial chance” of negotiations.
“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “All planes are safely on their way home.”
“There is not another military in the World that could have done this,” he added. “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Trump, who spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according a senior administration official, briefly addressed the nation.
“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump said in his address.
The president said that Iran’s key uranium enrichment sites were “completely and totally obliterated.”
And he warned Iran that it must now “make peace.”
“If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump said. Many targets inside Iran remain, Trump said. “But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization condemned the strikes as “a heinous act in contradiction with the international law, especially the NPT.”
“This invasion occurred in violation of the international law, unfortunately amid indifference, and even companionship, of the IAEA,” the organization added.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post to X in the early hours of Sunday that the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were “outrageous and will have everlasting consequences.”
“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people,” he added.
Days of missile barrages
Israel and Iran have been exchanging missile barrages since Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli officials said they felt Iran was getting too close to being able to produce a nuclear weapon.
Israel’s operation, “Rising Lion,” came after Israeli officials felt that Iran had enough nuclear material for several bombs, according to the Israel Defense Forces and an Israeli official familiar with the operation. In the initial preemptive attack, Israel hit the same three sites targeted by the U.S.
Several top Iranian nuclear scientists and the top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in the operation, according to Iran.
In the wake of the Israeli strike on June 13, the two countries exchanged strikes daily, and Trump weighed whether or not to get involved. The U.S. was the only country with the plane — the B-2 — capable of carrying the MOP that could penetrate the mountain under which the Fordo centrifuge operation was hidden.
On Friday, Trump, who has long criticized U.S. involvement in overseas wars, said in a statement read by press secretary Karoline Leavitt that there was a “substantial chance” of negotiations. Trump gave the two-week time frame hoping Iran would “come to their senses.”
The White House said last week they felt that Iran had all of the materials it needed for a nuclear weapon and could produce one in a “couple of weeks.”
In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress that Iran was not “building” a nuclear bomb.
The move, which many feared would draw the U.S. into a widening conflict, came just days after Trump said that he would make a decision about hitting Iran within two weeks.
Reactions pour in
The strikes sparked a range of reaction from American leaders.
House Speaker Mike Johnson lauded the move.
“The military operations in Iran should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says,” Johnson wrote on X.
“The President gave Iran’s leader every opportunity to make a deal, but Iran refused to commit to a nuclear disarmament agreement,” he continued.
Similarly, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a statement that Iran “has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace.”
“The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped,” said Thune. “As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “Trump made the courageous and correct decision to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat.”
But Republican Thomas Massie wrote on X, “This is not Constitutional.” Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, joined the chorus.
“Not only is this news that I’ve heard this second alarming — all of you have just heard — but it is so grossly unconstitutional,” Sanders said at an event in Oklahoma. “All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right,” Sanders told the crowd at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Many within Trump’s own party were opposed to striking Iran and feared the consequences, including prominent MAGA podcaster and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Trump “misled” the country.
“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” Jeffries said in a statement.
Fears at home and abroad
In the wake of the action, the NYPD deployed officers to sensitive locations and Israel tightened rules for public gatherings.
The Center for Internet Security, a nonpartisan think tank, in an assessment to law enforcement Friday, said, “Tehran is likely to leverage a combination of direct, proxy, and irregular/inspired forces to conduct physical, cyber, or terrorist attacks against U.S. interests both at home and abroad.”
The assessment said that in the wake of Israeli strikes, Iran would rely on “crude or escalatory tactics” and that the likelihood would increase with U.S. involvement.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Congressional leaders expressed surprise Saturday night about President Donald Trump’s announcement he had ordered a U.S. attacked on three Iranian nuclear sites, with some Republicans praising the move and some Democrats questioning the president’s authority.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Iran hawk, said in an X post moments after Trump announced the attack that it was “the right call.”
“The regime deserves it. Well done, President @realDonaldTrump,” he said. “To my fellow citizens: We have the best Air Force in the world. It makes me so proud.”
But the top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, said Trump had “misled the country.”
“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” he said in a statement.
“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” he continued.
“First, the Trump administration bears the heavy burden of explaining to the American people why this military action was undertaken. Second, Congress must be fully and immediately briefed in a classified setting. Third, Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action,” he added.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was on stage at one of his “Fight Oligarchy” events in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he read a portion of President Trump’s post about the strikes to an audience that immediately began booing.
“Not only is this news this that I’ve heard this second alarming — all of you have just heard. But it is so grossly unconstitutional. All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. the president does not have the right,” he added.
Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he was in touch with the White House before the attack and still monitoring the situation.
“As I have said multiple times recently, I regret that Iran has brought the world to this point. That said, I am thankful President Trump understood that the red line — articulated by Presidents of both parties for decades — was real,” he said.
At least one Republican in the House, however, questioned the president’s action without congressional authorization.
“This is not Constitutional,” GOP Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky posted.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, posted on X, “According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.”
“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,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said in an X post.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed ahead of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Johnson was supposed to be in Israel Sunday to address the Knesset, but the trip was scrapped because of the ongoing conflict.
The speaker also put out a statement endorsing the strikes, calling it a “decisive” action that prevents terrorism.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune was also briefed ahead of the U.S. strikes on Iran, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.
GOP Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming posted, “President @realDonaldTrump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program is the right one. The greatest threat to the safety of the United States and the world is Iran with a nuclear weapon. God Bless our troops”
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn posted, “President Trump made the courageous and correct decision to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat. God Bless the USA. Thank you to our extraordinary military and our indomitable @POTUS This is what leadership on the world stage looks like.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said on X, “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world. 🇺🇸”
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York posted that President Trump’s strike on Iran constitutes “ground for impeachment,” saying he was “in grave violation of the Constitution” without first receiving congressional authorization.
“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,” she posted.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to note that Rep. Rick Crawford is from Arkansas and said he was in touch with the White House, not the president, before the attack.
