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President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that he is avoiding using the word “war” in reference to the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran in order to avoid accountability from Congress — effectively openly admitting that his war on Iran is unconstitutional.
“I won’t use the word ‘war’,” he said in an address to Republicans at a fundraising dinner. “They don’t like the word ‘war’ because you’re supposed to get approval [from Congress],” the president went on, lamenting that “they don’t like the good publicity.”
Trump is referring to the fact that, under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. Presidents have previously used various maneuvers to circumvent the Constitution, such as congressional authorizations for use of military force (AUMF) to carry out military actions, but experts have said that there is no existing AUMF that can be applied to the current war.
Though there is debate around the specifics of the issue, experts agree that the Constitution allows the president to conduct some military operations without congressional approval — only if they fall below the threshold of “war.”
There are currently over 50,000 U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East, with thousands more troops on the way.
“So I will use the word ‘military operation,’ which is really what it is. It’s a military decimation,” Trump said.
However, Trump has described the U.S.’s operations in Iran as a war many times — including in his remarks following the U.S. and Israel’s initial strikes on Iran on February 28. He also described it as a war in his Wednesday speech, just moments before claiming he wouldn’t be using the word at all.
“We settled eight wars,” Trump said, repeating his lie about ending global wars that he had little to no role in ending. “And we are winning another one. We are winning so big, nobody’s ever seen anything like we are doing in the Middle East with Iran.”
It’s notable that the Trump administration would avoid obtaining Congress’s approval for the war when such an authorization would likely pass anyway. Congress’s Republican majority — with the help of some war hawk Democrats — has repeatedly shot down war powers resolutions calling for an end to the U.S.’s bombardments until the administration obtains congressional approval.
The latest attempt by lawmakers seeking to reassert Congress’s war powers came on Tuesday, when the Senate voted 53 to 47 against the effort to halt the war led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia).
Trump has previously flouted Congress with impunity. Last year, early in the U.S.’s ongoing boat strike campaign, Trump said, “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just gonna kill people.”
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