The American-Israeli strike on Iran triggered an immediate political confrontation in Washington, as President Donald Trump faced bipartisan criticism for launching a major military operation without first seeking congressional authorization. While most Democrats rushed to condemn the move and warned of a slide toward a broader war, a handful of voices from within the party expressed support. On the Republican side, the leadership closed ranks behind the president – though one member of the party attacked the decision on constitutional grounds.
Operation Epic Fury.
President Trump has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.
God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) February 28, 2026
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, assailed the administration for failing to provide Congress and the public with "essential details about the scope and urgency of the threat." Schumer declared that "President Trump's erratic cycles of escalation and the risk of a widening conflict do not constitute a sustainable strategy," and demanded an immediate classified briefing for all senators.
This has been our day. All day—sirens & we do the "shelter shuffle". But there is something worse than dodging Iranian missiles & that is having Iran scream "Death to America" for 47 years. @realDonaldTrump is saying "Enough!" I'm proud of our @POTUS! pic.twitter.com/BkdBLzyrle
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 28, 2026
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia also called for the Senate to return to session and vote on the War Powers Act, labeling the strike "a dangerous, unnecessary and idiotic action." Kaine stressed that every senator must "go on the record" on the matter, and made clear he believed the president had exceeded his constitutional authority.
Sen. Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned against repeating the decision-making patterns that preceded the Iraq War. He argued that recognizing the Iranian threat was insufficient to exempt the president from the obligation to operate within the law, and called on Trump to present a clear strategy, a defined objective, and a plan to prevent escalation. Warner questioned what the overall goal of the operation was and how it served American security.
Sen. Ed Markey similarly called the move "illegal and unconstitutional" for lacking congressional authorization, and warned of the danger of sliding into a broad regional war. Sen. Ruben Gallego stressed that it was possible to support the Iranian people and democratic movements in the country "without sending our troops to die." In the House, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes defined the strike as "a war of choice with no strategic objective" and said he would support a resolution to limit the president's authority to act without legislative approval.
Not all Democrats objected, however. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania praised the operation, writing that Trump "did what was right and necessary to bring genuine peace to the region." He thus joined a line of senior Republicans who expressed unequivocal support for the strike.
On the Republican side, party leadership gave the president public backing. Sen. Lindsey Graham welcomed the operation and called it "long overdue, necessary and justified," while predicting the fall of the Iranian regime. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker also defined the move as "a vital and decisive operation to defend American interests."
A notable outlier in the Republican camp, however, was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of Trump's most prominent internal critics, who defined the strikes as "acts of war not authorized by Congress." Massie, who announced he would push for a vote to curtail the president's authority, found himself aligned – though for different reasons – with left-wing critics of the operation.
The political confrontation also played out in the media ecosystem aligned with the Trump movement. Tucker Carlson, the anti-Israel media figure regarded as one of the most prominent voices in the president's camp and who visited the White House just last week, launched a sharp attack on the decision. Carlson, who had long opposed further American military involvement in the Middle East, described the decision to launch a large-scale attack on Iran as "a completely disgusting and wicked act."
His remarks reflected tensions within the Republican camp itself, particularly in light of the fact that Trump rose to power partly on promises to end what he called "the endless wars" and on sharp criticism of the Iraq War.
Meanwhile, the White House emphasized that congressional leadership had been consulted before the operation. According to a senior administration official, Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a situational briefing and held a Tuesday session lasting approximately one hour with members of the Gang of Eight.
It was also reported that Rubio spoke by phone with members of the forum and managed to reach seven of the eight members, while one was unavailable. In addition, the Defense Department relayed updates to the armed services committees in the early morning hours, after the strikes had already begun.
