President Trump has launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran and is openly calling for regime change. These are acts of war undertaken without congressional authorization. By acting alone, he has violated the Constitution’s assignment of war powers to Congress, seized authority that does not belong to him, and manufactured the conditions for claims of expanded presidential authority at home, threatening Americans’ lives and rights. Congress must act immediately to halt this illegal war and reassert its constitutional role. 

President Trump knew that diplomatic negotiations were ongoing and that there was no imminent threat to the United States. He knew the strikes could drag the country into a costly and deadly conflict. He knew his own advisors had raised serious concerns. He knew the operation would destabilize an already fragile region and place civilians and American service members in harm’s way. This was not forced by sudden attack or necessity. It was a deliberate choice to exercise power he does not possess. 

The Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the authority to declare war. By all public accounts, Iran posed no imminent threat. It is, in the President’s telling, an unprovoked war to attempt to eliminate a perceived future risk. That decision—a war contrary to American military tradition—belongs to Congress alone. Major combat operations against another country fall squarely within Congress’s war powers, as does capturing or killing foreign heads of state. When American lives and billions of taxpayer dollars are at stake, no single person may decide whether the nation goes to war. This is part of a pattern. The administration has previously used military force abroad, including actions involving Venezuela and maritime operations in the Caribbean, without congressional approval. Again and again, the President has bypassed Congress when deploying military power. These are illegal acts. 

We must be clear-eyed about the likely domestic motivations and consequences. By creating an international crisis, the administration may seek to justify expanded emergency powers at home, including actions that interfere with Americans’ right to vote. It may seek to distract from domestic political crises, such as the Epstein crimes, outrage over ICE’s violence, and the affordability crisis. It may seek personal self-enrichment. The President has openly discussed commercial real estate ambitions in the Middle East, raising serious concerns about corruption and conflicts of interest. These are the actions of a desperate, erratic, and power-hungry president willing to risk war abroad to consolidate power at home. 

Common Cause exists to hold power accountable and protect Americans’ right to have a voice in decisions that shape our future. When a president bypasses Congress to start a war, that is not a policy disagreement. It violates our constitutional structure and denies the people’s right to representation. Congress must not stand by. It can debate the merits of war with Iran in the coming weeks and months, but its immediate responsibility is clear: pass a War Powers Resolution to stop this illegal war.