Latest news with #OcasioCortez
Fox News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
AOC, other angry Democrats, call for Trump impeachment over attack on Iran
Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other Democrats quickly floated the prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump for launching a military strike on Iran without Congressional authorization. "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," the four-term congresswoman from New York wrote on social media Saturday night, soon after the president announced the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez charged that Trump "has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." Democrat Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois also argued that the president's order to bomb Iran's nuclear sites without seeking Congressional approval could be considered an "unambiguous impeachable offense." Casten, a four-term representative whose district covers southwestern Chicago and surrounding suburbs, wrote Saturday night on social media that "this is not about the merits of Iran's nuclear program….to be clear, I do not dispute that Iran is a nuclear threat." But he highlighted that "no president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense." "I'm not saying we have the votes to impeach," Casten added. "I'm saying that you DO NOT do this without Congressional approval." The calls for impeachment are the most visible, and furthest reaching, representation of the party's anger with Trump for taking unilateral action against Iran. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, wrote that the president had "failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East." "Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action," Jeffries added in a statement. While the executive branch technically doesn't have the legal authority to order a foreign military attack without the approval of Congress, previous presidents, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Trump during his first term, launched comparable military actions in Libya, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran. Congress has not actually declared war since 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, and legal scholars have long been divided on whether the president has the authority to unilaterally launch a military strike.
CNN
15 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Iranian foreign minister responds to US strikes
Iranian foreign minister responds to US strikes The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned US strikes on the country's nuclear facilities. He said Iran continues to defend itself by all means necessary against US and Israeli military aggression, and that the US holds "full responsibility for the consequences of its actions." 01:12 - Source: CNN Hear from Americans still trying to leave Israel Commercial airlines have, for days now, halted all flights in and out of Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. CNN spoke to multiple Americans in central Israel who are still struggling to leave the country. 01:05 - Source: CNN Mahmoud Khalil met with cheers at airport in New Jersey A crowd erupted into cheers for Mahmoud Khalil, his wife and child as they arrived at Newark Airport on Saturday following Khalil's released on bail from a Louisiana ICE detention center, more than three months after he was arrested outside his apartment on Columbia University's campus. CNN's Gloria Pazmino was at the airport for his arrival, which included the presence of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 00:40 - Source: CNN Eight die in hot air balloon accident in Brazil A video posted to social media showed a hot air balloon catching fire in the sky before plummeting to the ground in Brazil. Eight of the 21 people on board died in the incident, according to the local governor. 00:23 - Source: CNN Why Fareed Zakaria thinks Trump has 'FOMO' foreign policy CNN's Fareed Zakaria analyzes what may be motivating President Trump's foreign policy: a fear of missing out. 00:44 - Source: CNN Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in Israel CNN's Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in the basement of a hotel in Tel Aviv as Iran fires another round of missiles at Israel. 01:13 - Source: CNN Aftermath of Iranian strike on Haifa CNN's Nic Robertson shows the aftermath of an Iranian strike on Haifa, Israel, less than an hour after it made impact. The strike wounded at least 17 people according to Israeli national emergency service MDA. 00:48 - Source: CNN Iran's foreign minister responds to Trump's call for negotiations After President Trump opened a two-week negotiating window before he decides whether to strike Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country is not seeking negotiations with the United States. 00:16 - Source: CNN Iranian missile strikes major Israeli medical center CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, reports from Beer Sheva, Israel, where a hospital was struck during an Iranian attack. Iran said it was targeting an Israeli intelligence and command center 'near a hospital.' There have been no reported deaths from the strike. 01:04 - Source: CNN Israel's defense minister: Khamenei cannot 'continue to exist' Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot be allowed to 'continue to exist,' after an Israeli hospital was struck by an Iranian missile on Thursday. 00:13 - Source: CNN CNN correspondent reports on the ground in Tehran Air defense systems had been activated over Tehran overnight, according to a Telegram post from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports on the scene. 01:41 - Source: CNN CNN on the ground in Tehran CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iran's capital city of Tehran and is the first western journalist to enter the country since its conflict with Israel started. Hear his first impressions and what he's witnessed as he journeyed across Iran. 01:28 - Source: CNN Trump says decision on Iran will come down to the last second CNN's Kaitlan Collins asks President Trump if he has made a final decision on whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 01:12 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump open to assisting Israel in conflict with Iran CNN's Kaitlan Collins gives the latest reporting on the White House debating whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 00:58 - Source: CNN Woman gives birth to triplets in underground Israeli hospital A woman gave birth to triplets Monday in Israel's Rambam hospital, one of several in the country that have moved some operations underground as Iranian strikes hit the city of Haifa this week, according to Reuters. 00:44 - Source: CNN What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Trump disputes intel chief Tulsi Gabbard on Iran President Donald Trump disputed his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on how developed Iran's nuclear capabilities are and said Iran was on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon when Israel struck in recent days. 00:26 - Source: CNN Trump tells CNN reporter why he left G7 As President Donald Trump returns to the United States after leaving the G7 summit early, he took questions from journalists aboard Air Force One. Watch his answer to CNN's Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins' question on why he left early. 00:44 - Source: CNN Trump slams Macron's comment on why he had to leave G7 summit early US President Donald Trump called out French President Emmanuel Macron over his counterpart's suggestion that he left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 00:35 - Source: CNN Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Ex-Israeli Defense Minister's message to Trump Benny Gantz, Chairman of Israel's National Unity Party, and the former Minister of Defense speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper following Israel's attack on Iran. 01:08 - Source: CNN Video shows Pakistani students returning home from Tehran Hundreds of Pakistani students who left their studies in Tehran amid daily strikes on the city by Israel, have crossed back into Pakistan, a local official told CNN. 00:28 - Source: CNN CNN team sees strike damage in Tel Aviv Residents in Tel Aviv, Israel, are reeling after another round of Iranian strikes on the city overnight. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson visits a street in the center of the city where buildings were severely damaged and windows blown out by Iranian missiles. 01:28 - Source: CNN What we know about Iran's key nuclear site It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. 01:00 - Source: CNN CNN asks Israeli official about plans to eliminate Iran's nuclear program Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells CNN's Bianna Golodryga that it's up to the "free world" to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. 01:14 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Shipping industry navigates Trump's trade war CNN's Kristie Lu Stout gets exclusive access on board a US-bound container ship in Hong Kong's port, the frontlines of China's 'export rush' chaos as the clock ticks down on a 90-day pause on US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. 01:11 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN
Al Jazeera
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Patently illegal': Critics dispute legality of Trump's Iran strikes
Washington, DC – As United States President Donald Trump lauded what he called the 'spectacular military success' of the strikes he authorised against Iran, Democrats were quick to accuse him of overstepping his authority. Numerous critics accused Trump late on Saturday of violating the US Constitution by launching military attacks against Iran's nuclear sites without the approval of Congress. 'Trump said he would end wars; now he has dragged America into one,' Senator Christopher Van Hollen Junior said in a statement. 'His actions are a clear violation of our Constitution – ignoring the requirement that only the Congress has the authority to declare war.' In the lead up to the US attacks, legislators from both main parties have pushed measures to compel Trump to approach Congress before launching any strikes. The US Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war or authorise the use of force for specific purposes. Trump's 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) base has also been vehement in its opposition to the US joining Israel's war. It has pointed out that Trump won the election on the promise not to commit Washington to yet another war in the Middle East. They want Trump to focus on domestic issues, particularly the economy. 'Grounds for impeachment' Lawmakers' authority over the military was further enshrined in the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which curbed the president's war-making powers. Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump violated the constitution and the War Powers Resolution. 'He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment,' she said. The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, so he can order attacks, but his decisions must be within the guidelines of what is authorised by Congress. However, the president can order the military in the case of a 'sudden attack' or to respond to emergencies. Several Democrats were quick to note that Iran's nuclear facilities, which have been operating for years, did not pose an imminent threat to the US. The US intelligence community confirmed in an assessment in March that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon. Trump has increasingly relied on executive powers in governing domestically, and now he appears to be sidelining Congress in his foreign policy. But with Republicans in control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, lawmakers have few tools to influence his military decision. Impeachment is almost out of the question. President Trump sending U.S. troops to bomb Iran without the consent of Congress is a blatant violation of our Constitution. — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 22, 2025 No legal justification for strikes Lawmakers have introduced bills under the War Powers Resolution to ban attacks on Iran without the approval of Congress, but Trump is likely to veto the proposals if they pass. Congress could overturn the veto with two-thirds majorities in the House and the Senate, but Trump's strikes have enough support to make that outcome unlikely. The US president has not provided a legal justification for the strikes, but he is likely to argue that he was responding to an urgent situation or cite an existing military authorisation. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Congress passed a law allowing then-President George W Bush to launch what would become the global 'war on terror'. Millions of people have been killed and societies devastated due to the US wars on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, among others, waged as part of the so-called 'war on terror'. It has also cost trillions of dollars and the lives of thousands of US soldiers. In 2002, lawmakers approved another authorisation to allow the invasion of Iraq a year later. These laws, known as the Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF), remain in place, and previous presidents have invoked them to justify attacks that were not specifically approved by Congress. Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the US programme of the International Crisis Group and former State Department lawyer, said the attack on Iran is 'patently illegal'. 'Even under the prevailing executive branch doctrine, this is likely to constitute 'war' requiring congressional authorization,' he wrote in a social media post. Statement from Rep. Ilhan Omar on U.S. Bombing of Iran: 'The strikes on Iran, ordered by President Trump and executed without congressional authorization, mark a dangerous and reckless escalation of an already volatile conflict in the Middle East. 'Military strikes will not… — Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 22, 2025 Key progressive Senator Bernie Sanders was speaking at a rally in Oklahoma when Trump announced the attack. As Sanders told the crowd about the US strikes, attendees started chanting: 'No more war!' 'It is so grossly unconstitutional,' he said. 'All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the US Congress; the president does not have that right.' Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers will be 'demanding answers' from the administration. 'Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without Congressional authorization,' she said in a social media post.
CNN
20 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
CNN shows aftermath of first Iranian strike on Israel after US attack
CNN shows aftermath of first Iranian strike on Israel after US attack CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson reports from Tel Aviv where rescue teams are on the scene of an apartment building damaged by an Iranian missile strike. 00:51 - Source: CNN Hear from Americans still trying to leave Israel Commercial airlines have, for days now, halted all flights in and out of Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. CNN spoke to multiple Americans in central Israel who are still struggling to leave the country. 01:05 - Source: CNN Mahmoud Khalil met with cheers at airport in New Jersey A crowd erupted into cheers for Mahmoud Khalil, his wife and child as they arrived at Newark Airport on Saturday following Khalil's released on bail from a Louisiana ICE detention center, more than three months after he was arrested outside his apartment on Columbia University's campus. CNN's Gloria Pazmino was at the airport for his arrival, which included the presence of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 00:40 - Source: CNN Eight die in hot air balloon accident in Brazil A video posted to social media showed a hot air balloon catching fire in the sky before plummeting to the ground in Brazil. Eight of the 21 people on board died in the incident, according to the local governor. 00:23 - Source: CNN Why Fareed Zakaria thinks Trump has 'FOMO' foreign policy CNN's Fareed Zakaria analyzes what may be motivating President Trump's foreign policy: a fear of missing out. 00:44 - Source: CNN Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in Israel CNN's Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in the basement of a hotel in Tel Aviv as Iran fires another round of missiles at Israel. 01:13 - Source: CNN Aftermath of Iranian strike on Haifa CNN's Nic Robertson shows the aftermath of an Iranian strike on Haifa, Israel, less than an hour after it made impact. The strike wounded at least 17 people according to Israeli national emergency service MDA. 00:48 - Source: CNN Iran's foreign minister responds to Trump's call for negotiations After President Trump opened a two-week negotiating window before he decides whether to strike Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country is not seeking negotiations with the United States. 00:16 - Source: CNN Iranian missile strikes major Israeli medical center CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, reports from Beer Sheva, Israel, where a hospital was struck during an Iranian attack. Iran said it was targeting an Israeli intelligence and command center 'near a hospital.' There have been no reported deaths from the strike. 01:04 - Source: CNN Israel's defense minister: Khamenei cannot 'continue to exist' Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot be allowed to 'continue to exist,' after an Israeli hospital was struck by an Iranian missile on Thursday. 00:13 - Source: CNN CNN correspondent reports on the ground in Tehran Air defense systems had been activated over Tehran overnight, according to a Telegram post from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports on the scene. 01:41 - Source: CNN CNN on the ground in Tehran CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iran's capital city of Tehran and is the first western journalist to enter the country since its conflict with Israel started. Hear his first impressions and what he's witnessed as he journeyed across Iran. 01:28 - Source: CNN Trump says decision on Iran will come down to the last second CNN's Kaitlan Collins asks President Trump if he has made a final decision on whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 01:12 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump open to assisting Israel in conflict with Iran CNN's Kaitlan Collins gives the latest reporting on the White House debating whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 00:58 - Source: CNN Woman gives birth to triplets in underground Israeli hospital A woman gave birth to triplets Monday in Israel's Rambam hospital, one of several in the country that have moved some operations underground as Iranian strikes hit the city of Haifa this week, according to Reuters. 00:44 - Source: CNN What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Trump disputes intel chief Tulsi Gabbard on Iran President Donald Trump disputed his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on how developed Iran's nuclear capabilities are and said Iran was on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon when Israel struck in recent days. 00:26 - Source: CNN Trump tells CNN reporter why he left G7 As President Donald Trump returns to the United States after leaving the G7 summit early, he took questions from journalists aboard Air Force One. Watch his answer to CNN's Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins' question on why he left early. 00:44 - Source: CNN Trump slams Macron's comment on why he had to leave G7 summit early US President Donald Trump called out French President Emmanuel Macron over his counterpart's suggestion that he left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 00:35 - Source: CNN Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Ex-Israeli Defense Minister's message to Trump Benny Gantz, Chairman of Israel's National Unity Party, and the former Minister of Defense speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper following Israel's attack on Iran. 01:08 - Source: CNN Video shows Pakistani students returning home from Tehran Hundreds of Pakistani students who left their studies in Tehran amid daily strikes on the city by Israel, have crossed back into Pakistan, a local official told CNN. 00:28 - Source: CNN CNN team sees strike damage in Tel Aviv Residents in Tel Aviv, Israel, are reeling after another round of Iranian strikes on the city overnight. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson visits a street in the center of the city where buildings were severely damaged and windows blown out by Iranian missiles. 01:28 - Source: CNN What we know about Iran's key nuclear site It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. 01:00 - Source: CNN CNN asks Israeli official about plans to eliminate Iran's nuclear program Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells CNN's Bianna Golodryga that it's up to the "free world" to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. 01:14 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Shipping industry navigates Trump's trade war CNN's Kristie Lu Stout gets exclusive access on board a US-bound container ship in Hong Kong's port, the frontlines of China's 'export rush' chaos as the clock ticks down on a 90-day pause on US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. 01:11 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
AOC leads Democrats in calling for Trump's impeachment over Iran strikes
'Squad' member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted President Trump's decision to bomb Iran without congressional authorization Saturday and called the move grounds for his impeachment. The New York lawmaker weighed in Saturday night after Trump authorized the use of 'bunker buster' bombs to take out Iran's nuclear facilities, including the Fordow facility believed to contain centrifuges buried deep underground. She called the attack a violation of the Congressional War Powers Act. Fellow progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California last week introduced a bipartisan War Powers resolution prohibiting U.S. Armed Forces from engaging in 'unauthorized hostilities' against Iran. He was joiend by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a deficit hawk who on Saturday night called Trump's attack on Iran 'unconstitutional.' Wrote Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive pugilist who has become a top Democratic figure and even a potential presidential contender: '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.' Also raising the impeachment threat was Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten. 'This is not about the merits of Iran's nuclear program. No president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense,' he posted Saturday following the attack. Fumed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a statement: 'Tonight, the President ignored the Constitution by unilaterally engaging our military without congressional authorization. I join my colleagues in demanding answers from the Administration on this operation which endangers American lives and risks further escalation and dangerous destabilization of the region.' Rep. Al Green of Texas has already filed articles of impeachment against Trump, saying in a statement in May that 'President has devolved American democracy into authoritarianism, with himself as the authoritarian.' Congressional Democrats twice impeached Trump, once over his efforts seeking to get Ukraine to investigate rival Joe Biden, and once following the January 6 attack on the Capital. Both were unsuccessful. The Senate voted 57-43 to convict Trump in his second impeachment, short of the needed two-thirds majority. Trump called both efforts part of the 'witch hunt' against him, and says impeachments and criminal prosecutions of him contributed to his political resurrection. That makes any actual impeachment effort a potentially risky gambit. In the current environment, House Republicans hold a narrow House majority, likely dooming any impeachment effort that goes forward. Only a House-passed impeachment resolution gets a Senate trial. Trump's decision to bomb Iran clashed with some of his campaign rhetoric about avoiding 'forever' wars in the Middle East. He called the second Iraq war 'stupid' and has hammered both parties over the war in Afghanistan, which continued during his first term. MAGA ally Steve Bannon has been calling to prioritize other issues like mass deportations and warning World War III is underway. Ocasio Cortez was on hand when June 21 for the return of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil in New Jersey as he told reporters that he will continue to fight for his country 'even if they kill me.' Khalil, 30, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday to an eruption of cheers after he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for over 100 days. Ocasio-Cortez spoke at the conference to condemn the Trump administration for 'persecution based on political speech.' She added that Khalil was unlawfully 'taken' and argued that federal officials acted illegally when detaining the activist. Article II of the Constitution spells out broad military authority for the president as commander in chief, while Article I exclusively gives Congress the authority to declare war.' Presidents of both parties have routinely ordered military action without advance authorization by Congress since World War II. Even lawmakers pushing for adhering to the War Powers Act acknowledge that certain brief or urgent military actions that a president orders need not be governed by it. But AOC and others raised the potential that Trump's strikes could kick off yet another long war that began without authorization. Trump's comments from the White House Saturday night indicated conflict could either be longer or short, depending on Iran's response. '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 Israel's attacks on Iran. President George H.W. Bush got an authorization from Congress before the Persian Gulf War, and his son George W. Bush got authorizations in 2001 and 2002 following the Sept. 11th attacks. Trump ordered the military to take out Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani without congressional authorization, and at the start of his second term ordered strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who opposed the Iran nuclear deal under President Barack Obama that Trump scrapped, said Trump must provide 'clear answers' on the attacks and their implications on American safety. 'No president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into something as consequential as war with erratic threats and no strategy. Confronting Iran's ruthless campaign of terror, nuclear ambitions, and regional aggression demands strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. The danger of wider, longer, and more devastating war has now dramatically increased,' he said. 'We must enforce the War Powers Act and I'm urging Leader [John] Thune to put it on the Senate floor immediately. I am voting for it and implore all Senators on both sides of the aisle to vote for it.' Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democratic Armed Services Committee member, says his resolution requires that any hostilities with Iran must be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force, 'but would not prevent the U.S. from defending itself from imminent attack.'
