Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, ripped Donald Trump for his military attack against Iran on Saturday, saying the move is “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
Ocasio-Cortez ripped the president’s action on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, “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.”
On the other hand, Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, came to Trump’s side and wrote 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.”
I don’t disagree that bombing Iran puts us at risk of starting a war we don’t want to be involved in. However I think the public is too split on the matter to put majority support behind impeachment.
Conservative circles themselves appear divided with some saying the display of force was necessary and avoided direct conflict (minimizing operational costs), some saying the President is authorized to conduct these actions under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and some voicing dissent or disapproval altogether of this action.
The War Powers Resolution will probably be the loophole that conservative outlets use to claim that Trump has done nothing wrong. I don’t know if there’s been an exercise of this authority without congressional approval that has lead to the targeted country declaring war as a result. If this were to happen, maybe there will be clear grounds to impeach, but I don’t think the public will display a majority support for it to happen.
I agree that for practical purposes there is not the support for impeachment. But I do think that every unconstitutional thing he does should be called out with the simple but direct message that ‘impeachment and removal is the only remedy to a corrupt and unconstitutional POTUS’. We should say that over and over and over so that takes on its own meaning and the public is ready for it when sentiment inevitably brings us to the point it is actually possible.